


Kat & Mouse

by theotheroneoverthere



Series: Love Lorn [1]
Category: Actor RPF, Josh Hutcherson -Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-23
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-12 18:59:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/814914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theotheroneoverthere/pseuds/theotheroneoverthere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a May-December romance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ...the beginning

I hear the latch to the front door. The creaking floorboards tell me that someone trying to be stealthy. Too bad I can hear him pad slowly up the front stairs. His footfalls echo as they creak under the weight of his feet. I quietly smile to myself at his attempts to be sneaky. Although I’m not expecting him, I’ll play along, so I continue to take my clothes out of the dryer and fold them delicately into the hamper. 

A smell infiltrates my nostrils. It belongs specifically to one man, and is a wonderful mixture of cologne and this indescribable earthy-warmth. I can feel his body closing in on me as he comes up from behind. Before he attempts to wraps his arms around my waist… 

“I hope that you’re not thinking of sneaking up on me?” I scoff.

“Damn.”

He lets out a small chuckle as he gently places his hands on my hips and pulls me back into his groin forcing me into a standing position. The action is unexpected, and an accidental squeak escapes my lips. “I was hoping that you didn’t hear me coming.” He leans in, pulls the strap of my camisole aside and places gentle kisses on my collarbone. “Just cause you looked so damn sexy.” 

My skin reacts with goose bumps. A trailing warm spreads across my neck for every placement of his lips. Slowly, he draws the other hand from my hips, to just under my navel. He pulls me closer and I can feel his growing excitement against my back. Instinctually, I playfully grind my hips against him, and hear him hiss through his teeth in reaction. “I’m happy to see you too.” I turn around in his embrace to see the lust in his eyes as he licks his lips. He leans in to kiss me, and instead I close my eyes and let my head fall back presenting him with my neck.

The kisses trail up to my chin and feed a growing warmth in my center. He nips playfully at my ear and I want to abandon myself to the moment. But I can’t, I know that there is something that I need to do, but all thoughts become hazy. His kisses trail across my cheek and He captures my lips to kiss me deeply, and all cogent thoughts are gone. He breathes for me, filling my lungs with lust and want. His other hand slips mischievously under the hem of my pants to grab me by my backside. I release his lips to throw my head back in an involuntary guttural groan, and hitch a thigh over his hips to get me better access to his erection. 

“mmmm. anybody here?” as he languidly places hot kisses on my sternum; his question a breath asked into my chest 

The pleasurable haziness quickly dissipates. I drop my hands and try to pull away to look him in the eyes. He moves both hands to my waist and his eyes are bright and playful. 

Mine are not. 

“uh... yeah, my family…Remember? They’re out in the backyard.” 

I told him they were visiting, and he’s not been a part of my happy chatter with them over the past day. I don’t think I’ve even brought him up in conversation. I mean how do you tell your family that you’re dating an actor, let alone a well known one who happens to be quite a bit younger than you? But the look in his eyes betrays my fears. He is all excitement. I can tell that he’s genuinely happy to hear this news. He’s thinking about how he gets to meet my family, and I’m trying desperately to figure out how to tell him that they don’t even know about him. 

He’s picked up on the panicked look on my face, as his darken and his smile fades. 

“What’s wrong? Do you not want me to meet them?” 

I should have expected the question, but it takes the wind out of my lungs all the same. I obviously am not masking my emotions well with him right now. I must read like a billboard.

“I…I… its not that I don’t want to…I… just… well”

“You’ve not told them about me, haven’t you?… "

There are a million things I want to say, but I can't get my mind to focus as he still has his hands on my ass, squeezing lightly as he leans in to kiss my lips. He cuts my thought processes short. 

"Well, no time like the present.” 

He grabs my hand and to pull me out of the laundry room. I get to the threshold of the door, and realize that I’m not sure how to… well how to explain Josh Hutcherson to my guests. My family is small, but its mine and I protect them fiercely from my job. They don't need the headache that I deal with on a daily basis, and they are my respite; keeping me grounded to the normal work-a-day life I've struggled so hard to make sure that they had. 

Plus, My male cousin happens to be the same age as Josh. My female cousin (considerably younger too) has been chatting me up all morning to me about a picture that she came across on my laptop when I accidentally left it open on the counter. 

It was a picture of him, grinning like a fool on a hike we took last week. Josh was looking all wind-blown and outdoorsy, while Driver was mid-jump attempting to bite a bit jerky dangling his hand. Turns out that my cousin, Jamie is a self-proclaimed “hutcher-slut” and wouldn’t stop pestering me about where I found the picture. She went on and on about how she’s seen nearly single picture of him, but has never seen that particular one. I couldn’t very well tell her that I took the picture after she gushed on for nearly an hour about how “hot” and “fuckable” Josh was. I came up with a reasonable story, hopefully she bought it, regardless she kept begging me to send her the picture. Lord only knows what she'd do with it, more likely than not she'd upload it to her personal tumblr.

Out of fear, I grabbed the door jamb before I we descended on the living room. 

“Uh, Josh, it may not be a good idea.” 

I went on to tell him about my cousin, and that she isn’t the type of girl who could keep her cool. As if to prove my point, I heard her yell in the distance… “Hey cous’, whose Beemer is in front. Its a nice car…You know that Josh Hutcherson drives that same kind of car. And I think its even the same color?” I rolled my eyes in response and gave him a pleading look. 

He took the hint. He sighed and let his hands drop while he moved in to close the distance between us. Josh gestured towards the direction of my cousin. “It’s okay you know. I can handle it, I’m used to this kind of stuff.” 

“But I’m not. Josh please, I…I just...they don’t even know I’m dating!” I sighed, and cast my eyes down. I hear his chuckle at my admission. 

Suddenly a thought occurred to me. He’d planned this! 

“Wait a minute….” I narrowed my eyes. “I told you my family was coming. I distinctly remember telling you we couldn't hang out this week because of their visit!” 

He didn't flinch at my accusation, and instead cast his eyes down and gave a bashful grin like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Yeah, I know, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet them. I mean you know all about everyone I care about, but I know so little about you and your family.”

“Did you ever stop to consider that I don’t want you to know about them? I mean just hanging out with you is kind of a dangerous proposition…”

Josh looked severely shocked, “Wait. Are you ashamed of me, of what we… well…do together? Because you shouldn’t. I mean seriously you have to get over this hang-up you have about our age difference…”

“What! No! No.” 

I chuckled at the fact that he thought of me as innocent. So innocent, that I might be embarrassed to talk to my family about my intimate relationship with him. “Josh, look what we do, that’s just for us. It has nothing to do with them. Look, I can’t really get into this right now, but you just can’t be here.” He was about to interject but I had to finish the thought. I was hoping that what I was about to say would get him to understand the bind I was in. “I promise someday soon I’ll be able to explain, but all I can say is they’re not ready to know about us yet. Give me some time to ease them into the… well… the concept of you.”

“Wow, sometimes you are so esoteric. I never thought that I needed more of an introduction other than ‘Hi Mom, this is my friend Josh’ ” I gave him an exasperated look. I knew he was joking, but I wasn’t. There was more to this ‘relationship’ than just friendly times spent with innocent friendly expectations, and he knew it. 

“Okay, okay. I can respect that you want to take your time with us, with this.” He gestured to our entwined fingers. He lifted my hand to his mouth and began to gently kiss my fingertips. “But I want you to know that I want to meet them. I think I deserve to meet them.”

“Soon. You will, soon. Just not today. Please?” My request came out more pleading than I had intended. It felt shameful that I had to be so covert about our relationship. He sighed, suddenly looking much older than his actual age. I could tell he was not at all pleased, as I had been good at keeping my life hidden from him. I could tell he was displeased with all of the subterfuge and avoidance. 

What Josh didn’t understand that it wasn’t that I was ashamed of him. Instead I was doing my best to protect him. There were so many things that I’d not told him about my life simply because I thought that it would be better that he didn’t know about them. My nosy “hutcher-slut” cousin, didn't help. We had such a fortuitous meeting that I wasn’t ready to bring all my baggage into the discussion. There was so much that I’d stuffed down and was still running from, including my mothers unsavory history that wouldn’t be beneficial for him to be associated with - even remotely. I didn’t want to tarnish what we had with it. Not yet. 

In truth he wasn’t ready for the concept of me.


	2. Lunch...

As I was hustling Josh out the back door, I’d told him to give me 5 minutes before he went to his car. Now I was faced with the increasingly difficult part of telling my guests, my family, about him. 

I sighed as I leaned my back against the door, keeping my hand on the knob. It would be so easy for me to simply turn it and run to him. Ask him to take me back to his place and to hide away from the responsibility of what he meant to me and what it meant to announce that to the world. 

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head. How had I gotten myself into this? I swore when I moved to LA that this wouldn’t happen. That I wasn’t here to let myself get derailed. But with Josh it was so easy, so effortless that I really don’t think it could have happened any other way. 

He was so charming when we met, so smart and funny that I found myself instantly attracted to him. 

*~*~*

It was supposed to be a simple introductory meeting since his agent had said that he wanted to meet to discuss augmenting his contract. 

Instead of an office meeting, I’d scheduled it for a lunch and dressed down accordingly. I’d arrived at the restaurant about 20 minutes behind schedule because 1) he was a creative type - they were never on time, and 2) I had some difficulty finding the place. My assistant was not great at directions, and I don’t trust GPS. I was surprised to find him already there. the hostess informing me upon approaching the table that he was early and had been waiting for about a half hour. 

Shit. I’ve already managed to lose the upper hand and I’ve not even actually met with him yet.

I quickly fumbled about in my purse in an attempt to salvage my position. I went to pull out my glasses and find a clip to pull my hair back. I needed to look busy, important even, and I was regretting wearing a sundress rather than a business suit. It was an old negotiating tactic I’d learned that most men will forgive a woman of authority, and the best way to insinuate it was to have the appearance of a school teacher. Successfully getting lost in my purse I never managed to find my reading glasses, nor a hair tie. I approached the table with my elbow deep into my purse.

“I’m so sorry that I’m late. I’ve never been here before and my assistant didn’t give me great directions.”

I looked up in time to see him flashed a megawatt smile, and stand to shake my hand. He had a twinkle in his eye that took me by surprize. I stood there frozen with my hands in my purse, staring. I don’t know how long I stood there taking him in. He was so much more handsome in person than what I had seen on billboards or in print.

“Ahem....Um... It’s common custom to take my hand and shake it in return, you know.”

“OH, Yes! Yes! I’m Kathryn. Kathryn Jacobs. And you’re… you’re, Josh Hutcherson.” I went to take my hand out of my purse to shake his, only to drop it and spill everything out on the floor at his feet. 

“Oh dammit.”

He chuckled as I crouched down to brush everything hurriedly back into my purse. 

“I didn’t know that I could have that effect on a woman like that…” Instinctually, I scowled at his quip. This should be an ‘interesting’ lunch. I snapped into a standing position, assertively implying that I would ‘have none of it’, never addressing his comment. 

He stood as the quiet breathed life to the tension building between us. He looked around while rubbing the back of his neck, and when his gaze moved down to his feet his eyes widened in shock. He bent over to pick up a blue clamshell by his shoe…my birth control pills. He blushed as he handed it over.

“Uh here. Um...you missed this.” 

“Oh fuck me.” I whispered under my breath as I snatched it from his hand and stuffed it back into my purse. The flame in my cheeks betraying my affected cool exterior, which was likely appearing more scatterbrained than I had intended. I was quickly losing control of this meeting.

He chuckled again, “We’ve only just met, how about we have a drink first? You know the normal pleasantries. Then we can talk about your offer?” 

I narrowed my eyes to leer at him. Did he really think I was propositioning him? I was about to reply when, he winked, letting me off the hook. He gestured to the pulled out chair as he held it out for me. 

“I hope you don’t mind I ordered some appetizers while I was waiting.” 

I could feel my cheeks burning, as the blood rushed to my face. I had completely fucked up this meeting in less than 40 words and 30 seconds. At this point I was beginning to wonder if I’d lost all sense of dignity and composure. I beat myself up internally for being late and made mental note to never ever underestimate a male creative again. 

Considering how amiable he appeared, and how I had already royally fucked up my introduction, i figured I might as well just consider this meeting a wash. So I ditched my failed attempt at a ‘hard-as-nails businesswoman’ facade. Technically this was just an introduction meeting, no actual work was supposed to take place anyhow. Might as well treat it as much, since these California types are all about “knowing someone” anyhow.

So I let my guard down, a little. I was still expecting that later on in the negotiations he wouldn’t like me. But for now I didn’t get the feeling like he was “acting” charming. Maybe I might be able to work his attempts to charm me in my favor. Allow him to believe that he’d disarmed me, then come back for the kill when it came time for negotiation? Dirty, and kind of demeaning for me to do, but not unheard of.

“Uh, yeah I could use a drink. A Hendrick’s martini please.” 

He waved to the waiter, ordered my drink and asked for a refill on his own. He held out my chair further while offering a hand to help me into my seat. Very gentlemanly for someone so young.

I glided towards him to approach the seat and He lightly placed his hand on the small of my back. The touch sent an electric current shot through me. I stiffened slightly at his touch and felt a tingling in my breasts as my nipples instantly became rock hard. A throbbing urge began to twitch at base of my abdomen. I involuntarily gasped at the contact. I hadn’t expected that the tension from earlier was of a sexual nature. This was real, I wasn’t faking it. I was turned on and warning bells went off in my head. 

As he turned to claim his seat, I noticed that he was blushing too. His eyes trailed up from the table and I was certain that he caught sight of my excitement, as he took a beat longer at my chest before he caught my eyes. He cleared his throat while his blush deepened. “I hope you like oysters, but uh…. I can order something else if you prefer.” 

“No, I like oysters, but they’ve probably been sitting for a while. I’m sorry again that I am so late. I’m new to the area.” 

What in the hell was I saying? I was totally violating everything I knew about negotiation. I was apologizing and giving excuses for my behavior. I was literally giving him the upper hand and we’d barely sat down. I couldn’t let this man, no boy,(as he couldn’t have been older than 23) get the upper hand so soon. I shook my head in an attempt to clear it. 

“Sorry, I mean yes. Lets. lets do it.” 

He shifted in his seat while his smile got even bigger, “uh...do what?” 

“Do it.” 

He looked a little confused, but his eyes narrowed while his blush spread. When he didn’t speak the double entendre finally registered in my mind. Oh shit.

“OH! No! No! I... I mean order something else… you didn’t think I meant… oh god. Where is that drink?”

The waiter swooped in to save me. 

“Here we go, a hendrick’s martini for the lady. Are you ready to order, or do you need a few minutes?” 

I picked up the glass and sipped deeply from the drink, hoping that it would cut through the growing sexual tension and keep me on track. I put the glass down to hide behind the menu, hoping that he’d take the hint and order something for the both of us. Once the waiter left with our order, he sat back and placed an arm over the back of his chair. He was quiet, and seemed to be inspecting me while I dissected the menu trying hard not to look him in the eyes. 

The quiet was uncomfortable. It left me to my thoughts, which wasn’t good. I had to say something, anything to keep my mind from getting away from me. 

“I uh, I’m normally not like this. I wouldn’t blame you if laughed at me. I must seem like a total airhead.” I blurted out from behind the chefs specials. He lightly chuckled, and I lowered the menu to see him grinning at me.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite like you. I was expecting some ball buster to come in here and try to run roughshod all over me. If I didn’t know better I’d say that you are probably the best attorney in LA, because I’m completely disarmed. I don’t know what to make of you.” 

The statement took me off guard, again, as I sat there gaping like a hooked fish. My shock must have registered because he started in on some light conversation about the weather and LA’s traffic. I could tell he was a practiced charmer as his attempt to put me at ease carried the light chatter over our appetizers. 

“So Josh, it was mentioned that you’re interested in re-negotiating your contract for the next two films?” I put my second martini down and leaning my chin on my right hand, attempting to look casual. Did this look casual? God I hope it looks casual. 

“Yes, but I really wanted to meet with you. Put a face to the e-mails that my agent has been sending me.”

“Ahhhhh. Not unusual. Most people want to meet face-to-face so they can size one another up before the kill…. I mean… the negotiation… uh, no I meant…” I sighed as I cradled my face into my hands in shame. “Christ I don’t know what I meant anymore.” I hoped against hope that I could just will this awful meeting into my past. 

“Actually I prefer to deal with people on a face to face basis. It’s easy to forget that at the end of all the electronic communication that there is a person you’re talking about.”   
“Oh”

I couldn’t think to answer him, as I mentally reviewed the back-and-forth between his agent any myself. Suddenly, I lighted upon one exchange where I think that I may have referred to him as ‘the talent’ rather than by name. Oh crap. I wasn’t expecting that his agent would have included him on those communications. 

“OOhh-kay....Well...ah... it’s unusual that an agent would be willing to let their client talk directly to any attorney. It...um... shows that she has a great deal of trust in your abilities to let me meet with you.”

He laughed as he reached out to touch my hand, it was endearing, sweet even almost like he was trying to calm an excited puppy. “You make it sound like you’re some rabid tiger ready to rip me to shreds. I don’t get the feeling that you’re a wild animal. Maybe a beautifully clumsy one, but not one to tear me from limb from limb, are you?”

“Only if you ask nicely.” I winked. 

He laughed again, this time throwing his head back and clapping his hands once in appreciation. 

The conversation flowed easily after that point. We didn’t bring up the negotiation, but instead talked about art, travel to foreign places and an unfortunate incident that he’d had while in Australia with a Koala. 

“You’re kidding me… The koala actually ripped your shirt off in an attempt to climb you? That’s hilarious!” I guffawed ineloquently at the imagery of Josh in a shredded shirt, trying desperately to wrangle a baby koala. Yet it was the thought of the long scratch marks across his chest and back made me re-cross my legs at the warming sensation the image sent through me.

“Yeah I was pretty scratched up for a day or two. Who knew Koalas had such long nails, or that I’d be so appealing to one?” 

“I can’t imagine you not being appealing to anyone.” I said as I fluttered my eyelashes at him. 

The waiter arrived with our check, and I motioned to pay for it. “Let me, you can get the next one.” I said thank you, and began to fish about for my keys. Then it hit me, was that an invitation? I looked up at him to confirm, and there was concern in his eyes. 

“Uh,I don’t think it’s a good idea for either of us drive right now. Why don’t we go for a walk?” 

He offered his arm and I graciously took it as I was a bit tipsier than I had previously thought. We strolled along the ocean front walk in Santa Monica and let the sea air breeze wash over us. He had a cap and sunglasses on, and I was grateful for the crush of the crowd so that we could hide in public. It had turned colder since I had arrived at lunch and I was cursing my outfit choice once again. I began to shiver. 

“I’m starting to get cold. Um...maybe we should head back?” 

“How thoughtless of me! Here take my coat.” He took it off and draped it over my shoulders. He slipped his hands inside of his coat to rub my arms in an attempt to warm me up. The action of his palms against my biceps felt so good I shivered some more. 

“Oh man, you really are cold. Come here let me warm you up.” He wrapped his arms around me, and we were immediately chest to chest. His scent was intoxicating as I moved into his embrace. I tipped my head up to thank him, and found myself staring into his eyes, touching nose to nose. We stared at one another for a few moments, and an urge that had been bubbling in my stomach overcame me. 

I reached up, took his face in my hands, and kissed him. 

My lips weren’t hesitant, and in first few moments I realized how drunk I really was. But when I went to pull back from him, he had placed his hands on my cheeks and eagerly returned the kiss, slanting his lips over mine and claiming them greedily. It sent shocks to the tips of my toes as I felt the passion of his want lift me off the ground. My heart was beating loudly in my ears as I moved to wrap my arms around his neck. His jacket fell from my shoulders, but the heat from his kisses was warmed me from the inside out. I felt him deepen the kiss and I clenched my thighs in response. He had slipped his hands around my waist and was pulling me in. I could feel the desire flowing into the kiss and I broke away, it was too much. Breathless and panting I stared at him for only a moment, when a sharp breeze glanced my legs, reminding me of the fact that we were in a very public place. A few cat-calls came our way as I realized that a semi-circle had formed around us. 

I dropped my head and quickly took off in the direction of the restaurant. I wasn’t sure if Josh was behind me as I made a bee-line for the restaurant. All I knew is that I had to get away from the crowd. 

Dammit!

I had just jeopardized both myself and him. If anyone managed to get a photo of what just happened we’d both be in trouble. I looked back to see if he was following, only to see a bodies close in on the wake of my escape. 

I was sad not to see him running after me, but relieved at the same time. I had just kissed my client’s adversary, and whether intentional or not, this wasn’t good. I could blame it on the drink, or even on him… but there was no denying that I instigated the kiss. 

I kissed Josh Hutcherson. 

More amazingly he’d kissed me back, with some serious passion too. 

The whole drive home I was distracted, missing my exit because all I could think of what his scent, his arms, his hands and his lips caressing mine. As I walked towards my front door, I saw someone knocking on my front door. 

“Kathryn, can you please open up? I’ve been knocking out here for like 10 minutes. Please, can you just let me in so that we can talk about what happened?”

I smiled at the tenderness in his voice and the earnestness of his pleading. “Well it’d be kinda hard for me to let you in, when I’m not there to open the door.” 

“Thank god, for a minute I was afraid I had the wrong house.” 

“Incidentally how did you get my address?” 

“I called your office. Your assistant was very forthcoming...Look, I know that I don’t have any right, but I needed to see you.”

I shook my head. This was a bad idea.

“I know you felt it.” I continued to walk towards the door, trying my best to ignore the increasingly wet sensation in my panties.

“Besides we never did discuss your offer from earlier.” I raised my eyebrows in shock. An ear to ear grin slowly spread across his face. 

He held out his hand to me, beckoning me to come closer. I pulled out my keys and sidled up to him as I fumbled to get the front door open. I was distractedly trying to shove the key in the lock as he slid his hands down to my sides to my hips and squeezed. 

The key finally found the lock. Success! I pushed the door open, and turned in his embrace to grabbed the lapel of his jean jacket. Once the door was shut behind him, I got a hold of his shoulders and pushed him against the closed door. 

“You’re right, we do have some unfinished business to attend to.”


	3. That first weekend

“You’re right, we do have some unfinished business to attend to.”

  
I attacked his mouth while his hands busied themselves with my ass, cupping them with fervor and pulling me in. He slid a hand down to my thigh and lifted my left leg over his hip. The rough sensation of his jeans jutting into my thinly covered skin was deliciously intoxicating. I broke away for air and a groan came out in response. Surprising me by his strength, He lifted me up to force my other leg around his waist for balance. Now it was my turn to be slammed against the door. My head hit the solid wood while He continued to grind into me. His lips and hands transversed my torso, sucking, nipping, tweaking and surely leaving marks. I moaned in response to the sensation of his hips circling against mine. His hands had slid down and flexed possessively on my waist as he pushed me harder into the door, desperate to consume me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and arched my back to return the favor, and he responded in kind.

“Where?”

“Over there. The couch, hurry.”

He carried me over to the couch, my legs still wrapped around him, as he lay me down. There were no gentle kisses, as his hands were quick. Josh lifted the hem of my skirt up and sought out my underwear. I gasped as he reached the wetness and placed a firm thumb on my sensitive nub. His eyes lit up in excitement at my response and He dove back down to resume his meal of my neck while I became a wriggling mess under the pressure of his hand.

I was arching, writhing, and doing my best to ride the building wave to its crest. My senses were overwhelmed so I closed my eyes to focus on the pure pleasure his caresses rubbing my most sensitive of places. I was panting heavily, murmuring “more” , “yes” , and “there” when I could find the focus to form words. His other hand had deftly released a breast from my bra as he palmed it and began tweaking my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He moved from my neck to my now exposed chest and suckeled me, causing me to yelp when his teeth grazed the pert mound.

I opened my eyes, to see his clouded over with lust. He was taking so much pleasure in watching me lose my composure and become animalistic under his hands. He had a devilish smile spreading across his face as he caught my eye.

“You are amazing...So sensitive.”

He leaned in to kiss me and deftly moved aside my now soaked panties to slip a finger into me. My hips bucked in response while I moaned into the kiss. The action spurred him on as he searched out my insides to find that spot. The one spot on my body when found would flip my switch and leave me a quivering mess under his command. He curled his finger as I sucked in a lung-full of air. He began a slow circling with his thumb, while adjusting his thrust. A silent scream began to form on my lips as my hips lifted off the couch and my eyes rolled back into my head. He slipped another finger in. I clamped my eyes shut as I the sensation consumed me, my hips convulsing against his rhythmic tempo. I tried to take a breath but felt myself drowning in the pleasure of this perfect pressure and motion.

He whispered into my ear, “Give it to me. All of it. Don’t hold back,” and then proceeded to nibble on the sensitive skin between my ear and jaw. The convulsions spread and were now reaching my chest and arms. The tingling sensation finally reached the top of my head and a blinding whiteness consumed my vision. Then all was black while a scream ripped itself from my lungs.  
Panting heavily and still convulsing, I knew Josh was hovering above me. He was slowly retrieving his hand from in between my legs. I whimpered at the sensitivity of his withdrawal, and he looked down to his hand to see that I had soaked through my dress and his jeans. I was still shivering as an aftershock hit me, causing my limbs to flail uncontrollably. When I opened my eyes I saw him grin from ear to ear as he brought his fingers to his mouth.

“You taste delicious.”

He drew his fingers from his mouth to lick his lips and hum in satisfaction. I shuddered as He returned his hands to my waist, and attempted to sit me up. I shook again as another aftershock rocked my chest and I involuntarily threw my hands around his neck to stabilize myself. I was near tears from the repeated pleasure that this man gave with only a simple touch.

“You think you can go again? Because I’ve got to feel you do that again with me inside of you.”

The rumble in his voice vibrated against my neck as he kissed me and worked his way up to my mouth. Just the touch of his lips caused the ebbing of the wave, I could feel the pressure building again. This was the calm before the crash against the shore.

“You’ll have to give me a minute. But in the meantime, let me see what we have to work with, hmmm?”

My hands moved from his back to his shoulders. The hard muscle was warm and inviting to my touch. I touched my forehead to his, taking a beat to breath before exploring. I dancing my fingers across the hem of his tee, in one swift movement lifting off his shirt to reveal the broad expanse of his chest. My eyes widened at the sight before me. I leaned back to get a better view, to take him all in.

I took an index finger to draw a lazy line from his bicep, over his clavicle, across his pectorals, down to his areola. I drew slow spirals before reaching his nipple. I took it gingerly between my forefinger and thumb and pinched lightly. His breathing increased. While a flush filled his chest as he stiffened under my fingers and under my lap. I could feel the anticipation and heat through his jeans. I trailed my eyes up from his chest to find he was looking at me intensely.

“You are...beautiful. You look like you’ve been sculpted.”

He placed a gentle hand on my cheek and leaned in to whisper in my ear, “One should talk Kathryn, you put the image of the venus to shame.”

I placed a hand on the side of his face to confirm I was not dreaming. That yes, Josh Hutcherson was in fact sitting under me, eagerly awaiting to continue coitus with me. I dove in to kiss him, and crashed our mouths together. I opened wide while he found my molars, and used his tongue to excavate the entirety of my mouth. I sat up, never breaking the seal of the kiss to find the snap and zipper of his jeans. He readied to stand, but I put both hands on his shoulders to stop him and force him back into a sitting position.

“Nope, you stay put. I’m not done exploring yet.”

He complied, leaning back against the cushions of the couch. Getting down on my knees, I situated myself in between his legs. Starting with his jaw I tripped a fingertip across its strict line, all the way to his perfectly dimpled chin. His hands had found the zipper on the back of my dress and he was freeing me of my remaining modesty. I stood slowly, as an idea struck me to do a striptease for him.

Turning around, I cocked my head over my shoulder, “You gonna help me with this?”

He chuckled as he reached up for the zipper.

“Slowly. Its more fun that way.”

Tooth-by-tooth he peeled away the dress while I switched my hips in his face. When he finally got to the bottom, I turned and stepped back to playfully flick each strap from my shoulder. His smile turned smirk as he arched a brow with my tease. I stepped free leaving on my underclothes. He reached out to me and I gladly returned. He proceeded to pull me into him, but I resisted.

“Slow down there cowboy...lemmie have my fun.”

Bending at the waist I began at his clavicle kissing downwards to find his pert nipples standing at attention, begging to be suckled. I took one into my mouth, sucking lightly and grazing it with my teeth, while pinching and tweaking the other. He moaned and arched while I nibbled. I continued my task for a few more moments before continuing on to his sternum, placing wet kisses and then finally arriving at his stomach.

Crouching in front of him, I had my hands on the waistband of his jeans and boxer briefs, and placed one last kiss at the top of his groin, near a small thatch of pubic hair. He whimpered. His eyes had become dark and yet pleading. I slid my fingers around the fabric, and gave him a coy look while I steadied myself on my toes. I yanked down and then up to quickly remove all of the remainders of his clothing in one swift move. The action causing him to lift slightly off the couch and then flop back down. He plopped back into the cushion, mouth agape, arms over his head and his eyes wide at my skill and speed of the removal of the last of his clothing.

I stood above him, dangling his clothes by a finger over my shoulder to enjoy the sight of him nude and eager. Tapping an index finger against my chin, I pondered him for a moment. He was well endowed for a boy of his age, proportionally he was much larger and thicker than his frame suggested. As I continued to stare, my mouth had begun to water at the prospect of what I was about to do. Just the sight of him sitting there before me sent heat straight to my core, but I was determined to taste him first.

I began with my fingers again, slowly stroking with only a fingertip to gauge his reaction. He sucked in a breath as he stared me down. His focus was intense, so I stopped. He whimpered, wordlessly begging me to continue. I returned his glare daring him to break eye contact. His breathing deepened so I toyed with him by licking my lips and gently grasping his cock to squeeze it. His pupils dilated with pleasure he was struggling to keep his focus. He reached down a hand and began to speak when I released him quickly.

It earned me a whimper and moan. Coquettishly, I smiled while placing my hands on his hips to keep him from bucking into me. I leaned in closer to his glans while keeping my eyes glued to his. He hissed in anticipation, so to tease him I stuck my tongue out right while I opened my mouth to eagerly greet him.

He was wound up, agog and near to breaking, and it was a beautiful sight to behold. Hands flexing impatiently, panting in agony, and skin flushed with need. Most certainly the sight of him standing proud, fervid and anxious to have me engulf him was enough to make my skin begin to tingle with want.

He was holding his breath while I slowly approached him open mouthed; only to close my lips at the last moment and blow a puff of air over his urethral opening. He gasped in reaction while his hands gripped the edge of the couch and his hips bucked in response.

I pushed my palms into him to keep him still. I broke eye contact to blow a slow stream against him again and he gulped, swallowing his whine. Looking down, i watched it twitch, looking momentarily like it was gesturing me to come closer. My smile widened as I felt him push his hips up beneath the pressure of my hands. I then blew a slow stream of cool air over his foreskin and watched as he danced again. Every once in awhile I looked up to see he was struggling to keep his head up to watch me. At one point he had succumbed to biting his lower lip to keep from yelping. It was so delicious to see him fight the urge to release himself to the pleasure, in an attempt to keep the upper hand.

I pursed my lips and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of his cock. Pulling away to look at him. his whimpers were audible now as he continued to flex and while-knuckle the couch cushions. I could tell he wanted nothing more than to bury his hands in my hair and fuck my mouth, and normally I’d be more than happy to comply. But something about him made me want to play with him, made me want to ‘break’ him in a way that I’d not wanted to do in some time.

So instead of simply swallowing him, I playfully flicked him lightly with the tip of my tongue. His hips jumping at the slight touch of wet skin. Smiling I gathered all the saliva I could and let a drop fall onto just the head of his cock.

“FUUUCCCKKK!!”

I chuckled, and did it again. The second time he slapped his hands to his face groaning into his palms, forcibly willing himself not to shoot his load right into my face. Shaking his head from side to side, he let out a full body moan, as I touched the tip of my tongue to the fold under his uncircumcised glans. His cock wiggled and turned a fiery angry red as it began to throb noticeably under my ministrations.

I smiled at my small, but not so silent victory. I flattened my tongue against his shaft and slowly licked his length from tip to balls. Pre-cum was oozing from the tip as I blew a stream of air against his head and under the ridge of his glans to watch him twitch under my motions. He was near breaking point, but I wasn’t quite ready to let this end.

“No, no, not yet.” I cooed as I stood.

His head jerked up as his eyes widened in shock once it registered that I was no longer between his legs. He was about to protest, when I shushed him with a single finger to my lips. His jaw dropped then immediately clamped shut as I leaned in to kiss him. He reached up a hand to clasp both of my breasts while and grasped and groped without the finesse of before as his eagerness pushed him on. I moaned “more” as he took both breasts in his hands and began to flick my nipples with his thumbs. The action caused my knees to buckle.

I was nearly on his lap before I could catch myself. But instead of continuing the fall and sinking onto him to his delight, I stood, turned, and bent over presenting my backside to his face. He hesitated for a moment before placing a palm on my cheek, massaging it and squeezing with vigor. He slowly stood behind me as he drug the other hand slowly along the outside of my thigh to the other cheek. He kneaded both cheeks in rhythm as his erection glanced across my outer and then inner thigh as he came to his full height.

I turned my head to see him place a hand on the hem of my last remaining dignity. His eyes were pleading and he was ready to dive in. I was surprised at his ability to compose himself after my teasing.

I nodded in the direction of my panties. “Take them off with your teeth.”

He chuckled as he leaned over to kiss me first on my ear, pressing the full strength of his desire against my backside. He trailed kisses down my back, finally arriving at their destination. Both of his hands on my hips, I felt him nip me lightly on the small of my back as the elastic stretched in his teeth. He moved deftly below the ridge of my buttocks arriving at the base of my hind quarters. I readed to turn and let him has his prize, when he leaned in and took a deep sniff before placing a hungry kiss on me.

I involuntarily squeaked, as he continued his excavation of my insides with his tongue. I moaned and ground my ass into his face, as his grip on my hips strengthened pulling me closer so that I could feel his jawline cutting into my thighs. The wave was cresting again, and I clenched my eyes shut as his mouth continued to envelop my lust. His talented tongue dipped into me and suddenly my desire to play with him had given over to carnal want. I couldn’t wait anymore, I’d lost my own game.

“Now! Give it to me! I need it!”

He quickly stood and slammed into me with full force. We cried out in unison at the pleasure and relief at finally being joined. There was a moment of pause before his excitement took over and he slammed into me repeatedly, each thrust as hard as the previous one.

"Oh shit! You feel so fucking good!"

I grunted in acknowledgement. I was beyond words now, letting my body speak for me. Before long, the wave crested its apex, and began its curling descent to the shore. I tried my best to ride this wave of pleasure down, but I had underestimated Joshua’s surfing skill.

He refused to let me down easy as he continued to push me on. He was enjoying his upper hand and had decided to tease me in return. First he slowed his thrusts, then moved a hand from my hips to place a skillful finger right above where we were joined. He moved shallowly inside while his fingers tugged and pinched me. I yelled out at the overwhelming sensation crashing down upon me again. Tears began to form as I grimaced and winced at the overbearing pleasure that Josh was inflicting upon me. He began to grunt as he lost his rhythm and I was shuddering from deep within, clenching and tightening in response to his thrusts.

I crashed onto pleasures shore, crying out as I felt him twitch and throb from deep inside. He released with a final grunt as his hips stilled and his hands gripped me tightly, holding me to him with all of his force as he growled in satisfaction.

I gasped for air, realizing that I had been holding my breath throughout the final stages of my climaxes. Tingling and shivering from head to toe, I stood up gingerly changing the angle of his body within mine, and he gasped at the adjustment. He involuntarily thrust one last time, as I came to an upright position, and he threw both arms around my chest and midriff.

“That was amazing. You are amazing... Kathryn...” He gently kissed my neck as he pulled me closer to his chest, which was still heaving. We melded together as the glow of the ecstasy filled my blood. Each breath filling my body with life and flooding my heart with emotion. His lips, flushed and swollen rested against my shoulder as he breathed in my scent. His arms wrapped around me, were comforting and solid. Humming into my skin, and squeezing me into his chest, I felt a twinge of fear begin to bubble from my stomach. Still inside me, I felt him begin to go limp. But I wanted more. I didn’t want to let the fear consume the moment so I started to clench and swivel my hips to prolong the bliss of this moment.

“Ahhh... Ahhhhh!! You’ve got to stop that... I’m gonna need more time than you to recuperate... you are... you are insatiable!”

“mmm.... shhhh. You talk too much. Keep kissing, and focus on what I’m showing you...”


	4. Recent history

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is from Josh's POV

The drive home was tough. I we’d not seen each other in over a week, and just the thought of her bent over the laundry basket made me light-headed. I knew she could have been willing to let me stay and meet her family, if only I had tried to convince her a bit more, maybe differently?

But I never knew with Kathryn. She was difficult to figure out. She constantly kept me guessing which was part of her appeal, and a major point of frustration for me. I know that she told about her family visiting, but I figured that I’d take the chance that she’d find my unplanned visit as romantic. I was missing her, but ever since she and I met all I wanted to do was figure her out.

I mean that first weekend was unexpected and positively epic. I normally would have never done anything as brash as have sex with someone on a first encounter. Its not my style to dive right in like that. I never expected her to grab me like that and take over. I hoped for a make-out session, with the potential for sex in the near future. She was persuasive, so I followed her lead and let her take control.

My fascination, I guess if you could call it that, started well before we actually even met.

~*~*~*

My agent suggested that we renegotiate my contract considering that the requests that she was now having to sort through were leaving her with the sense that I was being typecast. I didn’t think much of it. The scripts meant consistent work for me, work I was always grateful to get, but she was concerned because it could possibly limit future work. I agreed to consider anything she thought would be beneficial, so long as it didn’t jeopardize my role in the franchise. I loved the character, I wanted to see the project through all the way to the end.

I trusted my agent entirely - she’d always steered me in the right direction. Plus it didn’t hurt that she actually treated me with respect, and kept me in the loop. I considered her more of a business partner and mentor than agent. So when she sent me a couple of emails from Lionsgate’s attorney, Kathryn Jacobs, I got the sense that Ms. Jacobs had taken the request for renegotiation in a totally different direction than I had anticipated. I couldn’t understand how or why she took what I considered a simple request and spun it entirely out of proportion. I needed to personally get to the bottom of this to clear it all up.

Actually it was my agent that suggested that I meet her to try and resolve the miscommunication that had developed. I thought it’d be a great idea, and it’d give me a chance to make it clear about my dedication to the project. She gave me the date and time, along with a photo of her to know who I was meeting.

I’m usually on-time to all my meetings, and I took my harley thinking it’d get me there right on-time. I lucked out since it was a friday afternoon, and got there early. I sat reviewing the e-mails back and forth, and figured that she’d be along in a while. One particular e-mail stung more than most, where the attorney had pretty much dismissed me as replaceable “talent” and said that there was the possibility that the role could be diminished in favor of other characters.

I confirmed the time again, she was running a little late, so I’d ordered some oysters and a Makers on the rocks. I figured I’d need to calm down after reading that e-mail. It irked me that she didn’t understand the plot points in the books, and how she could mis-read the importance of “Peeta” in the next two phases of this franchise.

I sat waiting, nursing my drink, looking pretty regularly at my phone. I opened up my e-mail to to confirm everything, I’d been sitting here for a while now, and it was starting to piss me off. I was about to call this meeting a wash, when I saw a her walking towards me.

She looked nothing like the photo that my agent gave me. She had on this dress that emphasized all the right things, for all the wrong reasons. She looked so exotic. Her dark hair was flowing across her bare shoulders and she had big Auburn eyes. My mouth went dry at the sight of her.

She was fumbling around in her purse, looking flustered, and pulled out a pair of these sexy horn-rimmed glasses and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. It only managed to make her look sexier. I was grinning like an idiot while she was rummaging around in her purse and looked like she was conversing with the contents of it, rather than with me.

“I’m so sorry that I’m late. I’ve never been here before and my assistant didn’t give me great directions.”

I stood, and offered my hand. She looked up and when our eyes met, I was immediately lost. I wanted to speak but I was busy taking her in. She was...wow, just wow. I knew I was going to forget whatever I had in mind and spend the rest of the afternoon just trying to get to know her. I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.

For a good minute I stood with my hand outstretched and realized that she hadn’t removed her hand from her purse nor made any introduction.

“Ahem. It’s common custom to take my hand and shake it in return, you know.”

“OH, Yes! Yes! I’m Kathryn. Kathryn Jacobs. And you’re… you’re, Josh Hutcherson.”

She attempted to stretch out her right hand while it was still buried in her purse, only to spill everything out on the floor at my feet.

“Oh dammit.”

I chuckled as she crouched down to brush everything hurriedly back into her purse. From that position I got a clear view down her dress and saw her voluptuous figure from above. Her breasts were full, but her ass, god I could see the curves of her hips and the pertness of her backside. I had to clear my throat to keep the imagery of her at this angle from the front of my mind.

“I didn’t know that I could have that effect on a woman like that…”

What the hell was I saying! That had to be the cheesiest thing I could have possibly said. I noticed a blue clamshell by my shoe, birth control pills. So much for not thinking of her in a compromised position. I leaned over to pick it up and realized that I was sporting a chubby thinking of this woman and I in an intimate situation. I swallowed thickly as I handed it over and looked away willing my hormones back into control as best I could..

“Uh here. you missed this.”

“Oh fuck me.” She whispered as she snatched it from me.

“We’ve only just met, how about we have a drink first? You know the normal pleasantries. Then we can talk about your offer?”

I winked in hopes that it would lighten the mood. I don’t have any idea where these cheesy lines were coming from, but I guessed that I’d be able to gauge her reaction to see how she was approaching this meeting. Heck, I figured it might not hurt to try and charm her into understanding my stance on renegotiating my contract. Not that I wouldn’t mind...taking her up on her offe...uh no. I can’t think about that now. Focus Josh, dammit focus.

“Uh, yeah I could use a drink. A hendrick’s martini please.”

A good sign, this meeting wasn’t going to be all business then. Maybe drinks would lighten the mood, and we’d be able to talk about more than just contracts and who owed what to whom. I waved the waiter over, ordered her drink and then gestured towards her chair.

“I hope you don’t mind I ordered some appetizers while I was waiting.”

I pulled out her chair, motioning for her to sit. She smiled while she sashayed over to take her seat. Without really thinking I placed a hand on the small of her back, slightly glancing the top of her amazing ass. The feel of it beneath my fingers brought the thought of her bent over in front of me. I was momentarily light-headed, but took only second to contemplate it, then shook my head to clear it.

She stiffened at the accidental touch. Uh-oh. Shit she was freaked out. I could only guess that she was thinking that I was being totally inappropriate. She was here to conduct business. I was fucking this meeting up. I totally misread the situation, she couldn’t have been thinking the same thing I was, considering her reaction. I tried to think of anything else to get the image of her out of my head, doing my best to deflate my now raging hard-on to disappear.

As I gingerly took my seat, I looked up from the table to meet her eyes, only to notice that she was still stiff as a board, headlights on full, flushed to the top of her ears and eyes wide with what looked like embarrassment. Oh man, this was totally confusing. Was I wrong? Was she as turned on as I am?

I realized that I was full-on gaping at her full and now heaving breasts. I cleared my throat to regain my composure. I was desperately trying to change the subject in my head from thinking of my mouth around her pert nipples. 

Food.... talk about the food you damn fool.

“I hope you like oysters, but uh…. I can order something else if you prefer.” 

I was totally regretting having ordered them now. Thankful that the table and the tablecloth was hiding my erection from view. Yes. It was the oysters fault... should have known better than to order an aphrodisiac. They were messing with my head. 

“No, I like oysters, but they’ve probably been sitting for a while. I’m sorry again that I am so late. I’m new to the area.”

She shook her head like she was admonishing herself. The motion was completely adorable, and suddenly I was lost again. I desperately wanted to know her age, because I couldn’t really guage it. She looked as if she couldn’t have been older than her mid-to-late twenties, but she ‘felt’ older in some way that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It didn’t matter really, I’d dated older women in the past. She smiled sheepishly as she spoke.

“Sorry, I mean yes. Lets. Lets do it.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. Did she just proposition me? I’m sure that I made that up, that my imagination had gotten the better of me. I had to readjust under the table. I don’t think she was trying to seduce me, but damn if she was, it was working like a charm. All I could see in my head was her grinding her plump ass on my now painful erection. I couldn’t be sure so I had to ask.

“Uh...do what?”

“Do it.”

Oh. my. God. I did just hear what I thought I heard. I narrowed my eyes, while I contemplated my next move. I’ve got to be making this up. This is all in my head. There is no way this woman could be on the same page. I was about to open my mouth to say something phenomenally stupid when she flushed even redder.

“OH! No! I mean order something else… you didn’t think I meant… Oh God. Where is that drink?”

Okay, so I was making this all up. It was all in my head. She’s not trying to seduce me. I let my hormones get the better of me. I was more than a little relieved at the thought of trying to conduct a business meeting while contemplating how to get this woman into bed. This was all business then, thank god. But the embarrassment, that I don’t think I made up. Maybe I’m wrong? Maybe she is interested?

“I uh, I’m normally not like this. I wouldn’t blame you if laughed at me. I must seem like a total airhead.”

I chuckled at the thought of this woman in front of me as on par with some of the other girls that I’d known. No way. Normally I had them figured them out in under a minute. Most of the time they weren’t even coy. But this woman, she kept me guessing so I couldn’t know what to think. One minute I’m believing that she’s all business here to cut me out of the franchise, the next I can’t help but imagine my hands all over her body. I couldn’t figure her out.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite like you. I was expecting some ball buster to come in here and try to run roughshod all over me. If I didn’t know better I’d say that you are probably the best attorney in LA, because I’m completely disarmed. I don’t know what to make of you.”

The lunch was pretty easy from there on out. The conversation relaxed, and we didn’t talk too much about ‘work.’ I felt amazingly at ease with Kathryn, not at all what I had expected. Before I knew it we were finishing off a third round and the bill was placed at the table. She went to grab at her purse, and I kindly waved her off. It was reassuring that she wasn’t expecting me to pay, most girls simply assumed that I was their meal ticket.

“Let me, you can get the next one.”

She blushed, said thank you as she placed her wallet away,then she looked up at me quizzically. She narrowed her eyes at me like she was pondering a deeper meaning. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. She was a rare one; Both an open book and yet completely foreign to me.

Her eyes were a little bloodshot from her multiple martinis, and she was a little wobbly in her chair. I was feeling a buzz from the scotch and I could see she was a little unsteady. It’d be ungentlemanly of me to let her drive in her condition.

“Uh...I don’t think it’s a good idea for either of us drive right now. Why don’t we go for a walk?”

I offered my arm, and she thankfully took it. Man, the touch of her delicate hand made goosebumps crawl up my arm.

The rest of the walk was a bit of a blur, but I do remember that kiss. Her hands on my face, and her incredibly soft and full lips on mine. Her scent was intoxicating, and as she wrapped her arms around my neck, I slid my hands down around her to place a hand on the small of her back. She turned my insides out with her full lips moving so urgently against mine. . I pulled her in closely to feel her against me. She broke the kiss to gasp in reaction.

I opened my eyes for a second then leaned back in to continue but she dropped her arms. Instead of continuing she turned around quickly then ran like she was being chased. I was stunned, eyes wide and still processing what had happened. Her kiss had scrambled my thoughts to the point I couldn’t pull it together in time to even call after her. The next I know she was gone. The crowd closed in after her and suddenly she was... lost.

I snapped out of it when a slap fell on my shoulder. Some guy was now standing next to me and shaking his head in disappointment, and thumbing in the general direction of Kathryn’s trail.

“You’d better go after her. Those ones are rare.”

Yes. She was rare, and I wasn’t about to let what just happened be unexplored. This whole day had been a back-and-forth. Finally I knew with certainty now that I wasn’t alone in my earliest assessment of her. She was too damned sexy, and confusing, to let whatever chased her off get in the way of the potential that kiss promised.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

We spent the entire weekend at her house in various states of undress with breaks only for sleep or the bathroom. I swear I must have slept no more than a few hours for nearly two days. She was both insatiable and intoxicating. Once I had a taste, I couldn’t get enough. It was heady and unreal. I barely knew her, but what I did know was exhilarating.

Making her unravel that first time, I was so fucking turned on it was hard not to come just at the sight of her. I’d never been able to make a woman do that before and it was incredibly satisfying. I knew I was ‘pretty good’ by my own assessment, but the feel of her walls clamping down on my fingers, and watching her body tremble from head to toe was nothing like I’d ever experienced before. 

When I finally disentangled myself from her on that first Sunday, I knew I was hooked. I was fearing the fact that she’d have to leave in the morning and that there was a good chance that I’d never get to touch her again.

“I don’t want this to be a one-time deal.”

I didn’t get an immediate response so I nuzzled in closer to her ear while I clutched her closer to my chest. I kissed her softly on her neck in an attempt to wake her.

“Kathryn? You awake?”

“mrummmphh”

“Kathryn... Kat... I don’t want to be just an encounter. I like you. I want to get to know you... what you’re like.”

She arched her back in a stretch that reached her toes. “mmmm ‘kay ‘morro we’ll talk. I’m sleepy now.”

And she drifted off to sleep.

I remember I was worried that she’d disappear if I closed my eyes. I was afraid to sleep that last night, and stayed up for as long as I could. I gave in to sleep when exhaustion finally took over. I don’t know how long I was out but when I woke up the sun was high in the sky. I reached out to her side of the bed only to find her gone.

I involuntarily groaned at the thought of her not being there in bed next to me. So I rolled over onto her pillow hoping that maybe she was just in the shower? No luck. I rolled onto my back, and heard a crinkle beneath me and found a handwritten note instead.

I took the note as a good sign, but being in her house without her felt strange, like I was invading her privacy. Plus I was starving, needing a shower and to change my clothes. I sat up, and everything was sore. I couldn’t remember my last actual meal, and although the urge to attack her kitchen was overwhelming I decided to be respectful instead. 

“Sorry, I’m an early riser and I had to go to work. Otherwise I would have stayed. 

There is food in the fridge if you want it.

If you want to leave, just lock the door behind you.

I had a really good time. Call me if you think of it. Btw, Your phone is charging on the nightstand.

Kat”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That weekend and in the weeks since that first encounter just got exponentially better. We took turns, giving and taking, but not really keeping score. Just being with her made me realize that all of the others were just ‘girls’ by comparison. When I think about it, there was something wonderful in Kathryn’s lack of sexual inhibitions. It made it all the more intense. It was hard to fathom that each time was never the same and always better than the last.

There were other things like watching her walk, drink, or even type an e-mail was incredibly arousing. She had this overwhelming confidence in everything she did. Jesus, just the thought of her in her shorts and that tank with her skin glistening with sweat from the heat... bending over...Fuck! I can’t think of that now.. gotta focus on the road. 

I normally went for more athletic types, but I loved the giggle in her walk, the pooch of her tummy, the fact that she had curves and felt amazingly feminine. I always laughed when other guys talked about ‘more cushion for the pushin’ and I won’t deny that I do love some meat...but I understood a lot better what they were talking about now.

Grabbing a handful, and feeling her under my hands was an unparalleled sensation. Instead of sinew and bone, it felt like... well.. like what a ‘woman’ should feel like. Her thighs had become a particular fascination of mine. They led up to her pert backside, but more than that, they were incredibly sumptuous and curvy. I’d gladly spend an entire week just massaging every inch below her waist if she’d let me.

If I were truthful with her I should probably have told her my unexpected visit was an attempt to push the subject of us going public. I couldn’t stand the subterfuge, the hiding and all of the second guessing. I know I’d not signed anything new, and filming hadn’t started but it would soon enough, so what was stopping her from wanting to be public about our relationship?

I was willing to wait it out, do pretty much anything I could to let her know that I was ‘all-in’ and committed to making it work. She’d probably accuse me to not knowing what I was getting myself into because of my age... which is a total cop-out on her part. I know how I felt about her... and I’d never felt anything so clear...ever. I know she felt it too because she’d admitted it to me in so many unspoken ways. She loved me; I was certain of it because of how much I loved her.


	5. A foamy latte

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've changed this up slightly so that their POV will alternate throughout the chapter. Hokey I know, but its my story, and I felt it would flow better this way.

What I had initially intended to be a quickie, turned into an entire weekend. We shared more than just a carnal knowledge of each other. In the moments when we weren’t in the throes of passion, I listened. I told him about my firsts, he told me of his. Even in the wake of broken hearts (mostly his) he still had an earnestness about him. He talked about how his desire to do more than just act. He did his best to convince me that he was a multi-talented artist. At one point he even went so far as reciting poems for me. It ended with him using with his tongue in other creative ways.

We spent the next several days exploring each other. In spite of his youth, he wasn’t inexperienced. But there were some things that he’d never tried before. Regardless he was willing and eager. He had a sense of sweetness about him. It wasn’t affected, but instead a genuinely caring nature that expressed itself through his willingness to please me. By the time we had called it quits I was delirious, and thoroughly exhausted. I slept better than I had in years; I was completely stated. Even after contorting myself and stretching my physical limits more than I had in some time. When I woke with the sun on Monday morning I was faced with the crushing realization of what had happened. I vaguely remember him saying that he didn’t want to be a one-night-stand. But our situation demanded that we don’t take what had happened too seriously.

When I saw the clock glowing 7 am, regret started to settle in my stomach. I knew that my desire to play with him may have been a bad idea, all stemming from the consequences of my position relative to his. I deflated at the thought of hurting him, especially after all he had told me over the past two days. Turning over and seeing his face smushed up against my pillow, it warmed my heart. He was still here. He stayed. He was really, really cute.

I traced his brow line with my finger and he’d flinched in his sleep at the glancing touch. I knew he couldn’t be mine, and I shouldn’t ever consider anything with him for that reason alone. I sighed at the notion that I liked waking up in his arms, his morning breath hovering over my cheek. The soft rhythm of his heart beating strongly against my ear when he held me close.  But he was by all accounts a ‘professional’ and understood the demands of the entertainment business. He knew that our roles in this game meant that we could never be anything other than adversaries. It was a thrilling to trip across the line of unstated taboo’s but that’s all it was. Nothing more could or should ever come of it.

 But...he was ‘pure’ in a way that I’d not had in my life in some time. He laughed and smiled and spoke with an honesty that I was unused to. I couldn’t discern if he had an agenda, and I can only assume that he truly, honestly didn’t. He was that rare sole that actually wanted to do what was best, and see something come of his efforts.

My mental calisthenics had gone on too long. It was resolved. Our situation demanded that this was nothing more than an awesome one-night/one-weekend hook up. So I got ready for work in the hopes that he would wake and we could say good bye. After reading myself, I returned to the bedroom faced with the image of him splayed out under my sheets. His taught backside covered by a thin layer of high count cotton. I smiled at the thought that I’d truly worn him out. Mentally patting myself on the shoulder, I figured I’d let him stay till he woke. Why rush the inevitable?

So I left him a simple note. No commitment of anything, nothing too forward or promising.

Light.  
Uncommitted.  
Fun.

I closed the door behind me and spent the rest of the morning humming with satisfaction.

*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Remembering that first encounter with Josh made me smile with delight. But my 5 minutes were up. I had to go and explain to my guests, who was parked in my driveway and why they didn’t stay.

 I tip-toed back into the living room, hoping that no one saw Josh and I in the laundry room. I stopped half-way into the living room to smack myself for acting like a teenager sneaking around my own damn house. But it was hard not to feel that way with Josh. He was so skillful at making me forget that we were so different in age.

 My mother looked up from one of her trashy novels that she was temporarily devouring from the comfort of her chair.

 “Where’s your friend?”

 “mmm... who? OH.....That was...a... Jr. Associate....uh…a nobody. He just came by to drop off some papers.”

 “I thought you told them you were on vacation? Everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah...Everything’s fine. You know how it is, you’re never really get away.”

She and my cousins shared a knowing look. Throughout most of their visit I had been glued to my cell phone still hashing out the details of the contracts for the remaining talent for the Hunger Games franchise. My female cousin, Emily, peppered me with questions about it to the point of annoyance. I told her repeatedly that I wouldn’t tell her anything no matter how many times she asked, but that yes, Josh had been signed on for the entire franchise.

“Don’t worry I’m not gonna work.”

I brushed it under the carpet, deciding not to include my family in my dalliances with a younger man. Only.... There were consequences of me not talking about it or dealing with it. Every day that I let pass without addressing my ongoing entanglements with Josh put him and myself in jeopardy.

We were careful after that first encounter, making sure to never be seen in public together. It turns out that he was pretty experienced with being discreet. It even added to the enjoyment of our time together, always in secret but never consistent in any way. There was technically only one slip-up, and that I can suspect I should have attributed to my euphoric high of that first weekend together.

I should never have listened to his voicemails. It was the husk and timber of his low growl that set me into motion and shut off all of my higher functions.

~*~*~*~*~  
Josh-POV

~*~*~*~*~

A couple of days after that first weekend I finally got a response from her. I was certain that I’d scared her off by calling her that Monday when I woke up. I can only guess at how pathetic I must have sounded after the third and then fourth voicemail. I wasn’t getting a response and was starting to panic. I was desperate to see her again. If only to let her know that I didn’t want to be just a one-night stand. So I figured I’d try a less aggressive route. I’d texted her and waited.

I got a reply a couple of hours later. It was a picture of her standing in front of her window in a black lacy garter and her skirt hiked up just high enough to see the dark outline of her sex. I couldn’t tell if she had on panties or not, there was some back-lighting so it wasn’t all clear, but it was incredibly erotic. I swallowed hard at the image, and my hand immediately went to my crotch.

Her timing was impeccable. I would have rubbed one out right then if I wasn’t sitting at lunch with my mom. I was listening to her tell me about the back-and-forth about the very contract under negotiations for the franchise. I couldn’t hear a damn thing aside from the blood rushing through my ears. Plus the thought of Kathryn’s legs wrapped around my waist was making me increasingly uncomfortable.

“Sorry, uh, I need to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

I tugged my shirt forward to cover my erection as best it could and darted towards the bathroom. Thankfully the men’s room was a single with a lock. I was about to unzip and go at it, when a thought occurred to me. There was a mirror running the length of the door. Two could play at this game. I positioned myself in front of the mirror and adjusted the view on my phone so you couldn’t see my face. Unzipped further, and snapped a shot of my junk peeking out of from the top of the waistband of my boxer briefs and sent it to Kathryn.

The second I sent it, I immediately regretted it. Shit, what had I done. What was Kathryn doing to me? I was smarter than this. The thought of the picture being used against me, or getting into the wrong hands instantly deflated my prior enthusiasm. Besides there was no guarantee that my idea would even work the way I had expected. I headed back to my lunch hoping that I hadn’t completely fucked up my one chance to see Kathryn again.

“Wow, this is good news! Josh read that e-mail that just came in. Looks like this is the opportunity that we’ve been talking about to clear up all the mis-communication. Lionsgate’s attorney wants to see you clear up the details. Odd though, I thought you met with her on Friday?”

I nearly choked on my burger. I guess my text worked better than expected.

“Uh yeah, that meeting didn’t happen. She never showed.”

_Good cover._

“When does she want to meet?”

“In about 45 minutes. At her office.”

It took some convincing, but I managed to get both my agent and mom not to come with me to this meeting. I dropped my mom off at my house, and then turned around and sped the entire way to Kathryn's office. By the time I parked the car, I was about 15 minutes late. I took off at a run towards the elevators, and started slamming the elevator button repeatedly in the hopes it would make it come faster.

Once inside I was grinning from ear to ear thinking that I would get to see her again, smell her scent, kiss her lips and touch her skin. Blood began to pool in my groin at the thought of her against me. As the floors continued to climb I got more excited, literally hopping from foot to foot. Finally, the doors slowly opened to reveal the chrome Lionsgate placard on the wall.

It struck me about the delicate situation that I was about to walk into. I’d love it if I could just walk into her office, like I was anybody else, sweep her into my arms and kiss her full on the lips. But that wasn’t an option. I was in a public place, more specifically her office and the elevator doors were beginning to close as I stood there trying to contemplate what I should do. They almost shut before I snapped out of it and got out of the elevator.

Fuck it!

“Josh Hutcherson to see Kathryn Jacobs.”

“Oh, hello. I know who you are... yes um... please take a seat and I’ll tell her you’re here.”

I smiled, sat in the plush couches and took out my iPhone to check my e-mails.

I looked up to see the receptionist hovering.

“Um, Josh... I’m so sorry, to bother you, but Ms. Jacobs said that she’s busy.”

“No problem I can wait.” I smiled and settled in a bit more.

She paused and looked back over her shoulder.

“She said that she’ll need to reschedule since you missed your meeting today... But...but I can ask her again if you want me to...I mean... I’ll tell her it was my mistake... that I made you wait.”

“Oh! No! Please don’t get yourself in any trouble over me.... How about instead you tell me if she has any openings later today, and I can come back?”

The receptionist looked a bit worried and then looked around cautiously before leaning in and speaking in a low whisper. “I thought It was odd that she wasn’t willing to see you considering.... well...She doesn’t have anything on her calendar for the rest of the afternoon.”

My eyes got wide at the implication. Kathryn was toying with me now. I arched my eyebrow and turned on the charm full force for the receptionist. After a few minutes of playful banter she was giggling and ready to walk me to Kathryn’s office door. I rapped lightly on the etched glass door.

“It’s open.”

I pushed open the door and walked through the threshold to see her sitting at her desk focused on her computer screen. She was sitting legs crossed, hair pulled back into a bun, and bobbing a leg up and down. The shoe on her crossed leg was dangling off of her toe, just barely holding on. I stood and watched her for a second contemplating what I could say to get her attention. She looked sexier than I could have imagined in her skirt and button down blouse. A knot formed in my throat as my mouth went dry. I involuntarily cleared my throat.

“Can I help yo... oh.” Her face fell. Her lips thinned out into a tight line.

“I didn’t mean to barge in, but the receptionist said that you weren’t busy. So I figured that I’d take the liberties of coming in and apologizing for my tardiness to our meeting.”

“Please close the door behind you. Take a seat.”  
~*~*~*~*~  
Kathryn POV  
~*~*~*~*~  
I watched as he sauntered over to the chair across from me. He was wearing a simple white t, and tight jeans that made him look so… young; So much younger than I remembered. The thought occurred to me that he didn’t know my age and once he found out he might be...turned off...disgusted even.

I sighed as I stood to straighten my skirt and slip my heels back on. I knew I had to do it, I had to quit playing around, and let this one go. Too bad, he was so much fun, but there was no other way around this.

He looked a little confused as he sat. He was smiling when he opened the door, but now confusion rippled across his face. I stood for a moment while I tried to decipher his emotions and to figure out what I was going to say. I was about to dive into a diatribe about how this couldn’t work, when he cut me off.

“Before you say anything, I need to say that I don’t think what we did was a mistake.”

I shook my head in dismay. He really didn’t understand the ramifications of what had happened. But, I couldn’t let him sit there with the expectation that he could possibly continue any sort of arrangement with me.  I needed to do the only thing that I thought would stop him cold. “Josh, there is something I need to tell you...”

“No wait. I’m not done. Please let me finish Kathryn.” He waved me to an adjoining seat, I stood still. He couldn’t be seriously trying to negotiate now? Seeing my determination to stand, He got up and moved to me, placing a gentle hand on my bicep. He began caressing my arm slowly, then looked up slowly to meet my eyes and took a deep breath.

“I want you to know that I understand the delicate situation that we’re both in. I know I can’t waltz in here like I’m your boyfriend and sweep you off your feet like I want to. But I also know that I’m not going to let that get in the way of how I feel. Kathryn, what happened, I’ve never done anything like that, never ever felt like that, with anyone else. I’m hoping that you can say the same because I don’t think I could handle it if you told me otherwise.”

His pupils were dilating, in fear, as he struggled to continue.

“But no matter what you have to say, I need you to understand that I want you in my life in whatever capacity that is, because I simply wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn't at least try to make you understand that... well... you make me want invest everything I am in understanding you. Knowing all about you.”

I’d never, in all my years, ever had anyone say anything remotely like that to me. He looked up at me, awaiting an answer, and… I crashed into him with all abandon. I was so moved by his romantic plea that I lost my head,  and let my body do the talking.

I kissed him with all the passion I could muster and opened my mouth to let him explore. His tongue danced across mine while I traced the inside of his mouth with the tip of my tongue. I threw my arms around his neck to make him feel my heart beating out of my chest. His lips felt so good and tasted so wonderful that I moaned into the kiss. His arms encircled me and pulled me closer, willing our bodies to melt into one another. He fisted the back of my blouse as he held me tighter and lifted me off my feet.

I could hear his heartbeat in my ears as he released my top and braced one arm around my torso to keep me airborne and slid the other hand down to my tailbone. I ground my hips into his and he growled in response. He flexed his hand to spread it out over the apex of my backside as an inaudible suggestion to lift my legs around his waist.

I would have done it if I hadn’t heard the rapping on my door. Josh froze, and my heart was in my throat. We quickly disengaged, he had a panicked look in his eyes, and both of our breathing was ragged and shallow. I called out in the direction of the interruption.

“One moment, I’m with someone.”

He released me to hunch down and fold over onto himself. He was sporting a huge hard-on.

“Oh shit, what do we do?”

“Sit down, I’ll go and see what they want.”

As I turned to walk to the door, and noticed my lipstick smeared on his face. I put a thumb to his lips to wipe it off. He smiled and then reached up to my hand, opened it, and held my palm to his lips ever so gently. The look in on his face while he held my hand melted me from the inside out. I smiled into the genteel kiss. He released my hand from his face and looked up longingly. I pointed more forcibly at the chair in front of my desk to insist that he sit.

It was the receptionist, she looked frightened as she mentioned that Carl Pedregal was here and wanted to speak to me. Of course, the SVP of Lionsgate was knocking on my door the very moment I was making out with the star their tentpole franchise. My luck couldn’t have been worse if I wasn’t already convinced that Murphy’s law was written for this very moment.

I thanked her for the information and told her that I was about to finish up and that I’d buzz her to let him in. I turned around to face the room. I softly closed the door behind me, gasped as I had been holding my breath, and thunked the back of my head against the glass.

He stood to move towards me. I raised my hand to make him stop. I had to get this out before my body betrayed me and I flung myself at him.

“Josh. This can’t happen. We’re both far too compromised to even think straight. Look we don’t even know one another...”

He shook his head now as he got up from the seat. “I want to spend the time to get to know you...”

“No... No. Look, before we go any further you need to know that I’m significantly older than you.”

“I don’t care about the difference in our ages...”

“You should. It could be scandalous for the both of us if word got out.”

He chuckled, “More or less scandalous than the texts we just sent one another?”

“We can discuss this later. Right now, I have to talk to the Senior Vice President of Production for Lionsgate.”

His eyes widened at the name-drop. He finally understood the ramifications of the current situation. I could potentially be out of a job if we kept Carl waiting much longer.

“Okay, okay. But were not done here...we need to... talk, please?”

I noticed by the dip of his forehead and the wiggle of his eyebrows. I could tell he had something else in mind should this ‘conversation’ continue.

“Yes....But I don’t know how long this meeting will be, and I can’t have you waiting around here. It’ll look suspicious.”

“I’ll wait wherever you want me to....hopefully someplace nearby?”

There was a Starbucks at the bottom of the building.

I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I knew it couldn’t happen in my office.

~*~*~*~*~  
Carl (the SVP of production) was stopping by for a quick chat. He wanted to know about the status of the contracts before the catching fire cast announcement. I’d worked for him before, and so I knew I wasn’t in any trouble, per-say. Most people were unnecessarily afraid of him and the title. He was a personable guy and wasn’t quick to chew people out as I was. I guess that’s probably why we worked so well together.

I congratulated him on the success of The Hunger Games, and how the franchise promised to pull Lionsgate into the black. He was more interested in finding out more about any extravagant riders that might pop-up before production got too far along. Unfortunately throughout the entire conversation, I was terribly distracted by the thought of Josh anxiously awaiting me downstairs.

I promised him a better update of everything, once I could get some coffee. He was gracious, and he excused himself while I headed towards the elevator. My heart was in my throat. I couldn’t believe that I was about to throw caution to the wind by doing what I was thinking of doing.

As I turned into the shop, I was hopeful that he’d chickened out. But as I waited in line, I saw him in the back, cap pulled down low, trying to hide in a plush armchair. I swallowed thickly as I ordered a drink. I saw him scramble hurriedly from his seat and make his way into the bathroom.

I waited impatiently for my drink, as I stared at the door to the bathroom. I was nearly hyperventilating at the thought of Josh waiting for me, anticipating that I’d be joining him. I knew exactly what he wanted by the way he made a bee-line for the bathroom. I could just leave. Now. He’d be none the wiser, and this would all be over.

No, I needed to resolve this. I needed a responsible resolution and running was never a clean break. It never had been for me. I liked him, and I had to work with him…or him for me, or…oh Christ this was getting complicated. A poke on my shoulder from behind snapped me into the present, as stranger pointed to the bar stating that my drink was ready. I thanked the stranger and the barista, grabbed the drink and was headed straight to the bathroom door.

I stopped, as I realized that would look conspicuous for me to go to the bathroom right after ordering a drink... I also needed to know the he was seriously thinking of what I assumed he wanted me to do. I went to sit, pulled out my phone and saw the text.

“knock 5 times quickly”

I swallowed harshly. Oh god. Am I really contemplating this? I pantomimed spilling my drink on my lap. I felt that should sufficiently convince anyone who might be looking, and walked a little quicker than normal to the bathroom door. I shakily lifted my knuckles to the door and knocked 5 times quickly, then tried the handle.

It opened, and he stepped away from the door as I quickly went inside and then locked the door behind me. With his back to the door, cup of hot coffee in my right hand, he immediately dove in to unbutton my blouse while attacking my lips and neck.

Backing up in an attempt to get out of his grip, I giggled as the scruff on his chin tickled my neck. I tried to whisper in my lowest voice possible, “Wait... wait...we… can’t…”

His hands on my hips, he pulled me into his erection and ground into me, making it clear that he wanted a continuation of what I’d started in my office. Humming into the delicate skin on my neck, “throw your coffee away before you burn us both.”

He let up while I turned to carefully pour the coffee down the sink. I was breathing heavily, and trying hard not to spill any of the drink on myself while he continued kissing my neck. His hands were everywhere as continued to move across my shoulder, making it hard to focus.

“Ow, shit...Josh stop that I just splashed some on my skirt.”

He whispered in reply, “Well I guess then that your skirt will need to come off.”

He unzipped my skirt as  he kneeled down to help me out of it. I couldn’t believe that I was simply letting him do this to me. His hands smoothed over my hips as he maneuvered my skirt to my ankles to help me step free of the fabric. From his crouched position he leaned in and nuzzled his nose into my aching desire. I gasped loudly at the touch and felt a wave of pleasure soak my underwear.

“shhh... no noise.”

He whispered sternly, and then returned to teasing me while I bucked my hips into him. I bit down hard to keep from moaning aloud when he slipped my panties aside, and slid a deft finger into me. He had found an exquisite rhythm and depth which caused me to throw my head back as I lifted myself up using the sink, my body trying to escape from pleasure he was inflicting on me. His grip on my thighs tightened, as he pulled me back to his face. I started panting a harshly whispered mantra while I rode his tongue. He took my clit into his mouth which caused me to yelp increasingly louder with the passing moments. He stood quickly, never removing his plunging fingers to place a his other hand over my mouth.

“Jesus Kathryn, you’ve gotta be quiet. Someone will hear us.”

I nodded in response, and bit down hard on my lip to keep me from losing myself to the moment. He stared me down with lust filled eyes. The flush on his cheeks spread while his hand held my face close while he continued his ministrations down below. His thumb began to rub circles against my cheek as he tipped his forehead against mine, pressing into it. I turned my head to capture his digit in my warm awaiting mouth. Keeping eye contact as best I could, I closed my lips around it and began to suck teasingly. His eyes went wide while I continued to imagine his girth and length in my mouth rather than just his thumb. I ground my hips into his hand at the thought of him releasing into me. In response to my hips, he had captured one of my thighs between his own and began to rub himself eagerly against it.

I reached down with a free hand and slid it underneath his jeans and briefs to find him and began to stroke to the same rhythm. He swelled in reaction and laid his head into my chest to stifle a moan. The hand that was covering my mouth had made its way down to my chest. He roughly removed what he could of my blouse and began to nip and lick the accessible flesh while palming the other over the lace.

His thumb kept dancing maddenly over my clitioris, while he continued to tweak and tease my breasts and exposed flesh. I clamped down on my tongue to keep from crying out while kissed his way back up to my mouth. With a shallow breath I whispered into the kisses.

“Josh, uhhhh! Josh, please I need you inside me.”

He pulled away suddenly, causing me to gasp, as he pulled out his wallet to place it on top of the towel dispenser. He undid his jeans and pulled his cock out over the waistline of his briefs. The sight of him standing there, ready and oh-so-very hard caused a flood of passion between my legs. I must have sighed inaudibly because he grinned while he reached for his wallet, removed a condom, and quickly slid it on.

I lifted myself up against the rim of the sink and spread my legs wider as he moved towards me. When we finally joined together, we both groaned into each others mouth, unable to control the reaction and relief at feeling so good. He stilled for a moment, to look me in the eyes.

“Remember keep quiet.”

He stared me down as he began to furiously thrust into me. I kept eye contact for as long as I could while my wave of pleasure built into a rolling tsunami. I was drowning so I held my breath as pulse after pulse crashed down on me, causing me to shudder from deep within. As I twitched and clamped down, I could feel him lose his rhythm as he bit into my shoulder to keep from groaning aloud.

 

He stilled and I felt him throb from within as he released. I gasped to catch my breath and he placed gentle kisses on my shoulder and cheek. My arms were weak from the exertion of holding myself aloft.

“Josh, I’ve got to get down or I’ll fall.”

“I’ve got you, I won’t let you fall.”


	6. Heading down the Yellow Brick Road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Josh's POV

I was riding a high for the rest of that day, really the rest of that week. I was lost in my afterglow of her, of her scent, skin, her everything. After we clumsily departed from one another, I quickly texted her with a request to meet her for dinner; mostly to make up for the lack of a proper courtship. My momma taught me right, and Kathryn was special. It was more than just sex and I wanted her to know that in more ways than I think she wanted me to really see.

I arrived on time, with a bottle of wine (a vintage similar to one I noticed she already had), and a Longfellow poem memorized and ready to recite for her, since she was impressed last time. I had to admit that I was really nervous, I’d never done something like this before, but I suspected that I had to be more subtle with her. In some (good) ways she was aggressive and I loved that, but I could tell that she was hesitant in the romance department, hedging and deflecting as often as she could. Most of  my romantic advances ended in impatient and quick sessions, never any slow, appreciative time like I really wanted.

When she opened her door I dramatically bowed low and began the recitation of Longfellow’s [‘Maidenhood’ ](http://www.poetry-love-poems.com/longfellow/maidenhood.php)poem.

_Maiden! with the meek, brown eyes,_  
 _In whose orb a shadow lies_  
 _Like the dusk in evening skies!_  


_Thou, whose locks outshine the sun,_  
 _Golden tresses, wreathed in one,_  
 _As the braided streamlets run!_  


She blinked a few times in surprize, and then stepped back from the door to usher me across the threshold and softly closed the door behind me.

“Josh, what... what are you doing?”

_Standing, with reluctant feet,_  
 _Where the brook and river meet,_  
 _Womanhood and childhood fleet!_  


_Gazing, with a timid glance,_  
 _On the brooklet's swift advance,_  
 _On the river's broad expanse!_  


Once inside, she turned to face me, a shy smile hinting itself at the corners of her mouth. I bowed deeper this time, and continued;

_Deep and still, that gliding stream_  
 _Beautiful to thee must seem,_  
 _As the river of a dream._  


_Then why pause with indecision,_  
 _When bright angels in thy vision_  
 _Beckon thee to fields Elysian?_  


“Are you....Is that...is that Wadsworth-Longfellow?” I arched a brow in answer and nodded into a broad smile and continued without breaking a beat;

_Seest thou shadows sailing by,_  
 _As the dove, with startled eye,_  
 _Sees the falcon's shadow fly?_  


_Hearest thou voices on the shore,_  
 _That our ears perceive no more,_  
 _Deafened by the cataract's roar?_  


I slowly approached, took her hand and walked backwards towards her kitchen island. I pulled out a chair, offering it to her while reciting the poem with suaveness as I could muster. I was pouring on the smoulder that normally slay most women, and she appeared to react, (positively i think) so I kept it up. I half expected her to break down into a fit of giggles but she listened with rapt attention while I continued my recitation. When I finished pouring us both glasses of wine from the bottle I brought, I handed her one, clinked it with my own and ended it on the last stanza;

_And that smile, like sunshine, dart_  
 _Into many a sunless heart,_  
 _For a smile of God thou art._  


I sipped at the wine, my throat now dry and looked over the rim of my glass expectantly. There was a long uncomfortable silence, but I didn’t want to be the one to break it. I moved to her side to continue with the seduction. I placed a hand on her cheek and tipped her face to mine. I could see the riot of emotions swimming in her head by the way her eyes darted all over; She was trying extremely hard not to look me in the eye.

“Is that... do you see me.. like that?”

“uh...?” I leaned in to nuzzle her cheek, placing chaste kisses on her jaw.

“I mean do you see me as hesitant or...past my prime... or old?”

“What?” I chuckled into her neck and continued to kiss down her neck.  “Kathryn, no! Of course not.” Continuing down her neck and hovering over the indent in her clavicle to place open mouthed kisses there.

“Then what do you mean? I are you...are you saying that I’m... old because I’m covered in snow... I mean I have a few white hairs, but... but”

She was totally taking this in the wrong way. I wasn’t really expecting to have a literary discussion about the merits of Longfellow’s love poems, but...gah! She wasn’t going to give in to the romance of the moment. I sighed. I rested my head on her sternum, realizing that this wasn’t going to be as perfect as I had imagined in my mind. I pulled back too look at her more fully. I had to try and figure out how to save this. She looked panicked, I needed to change that. I needed to get her back to that blissful moment when she was calling out my name and her skin glistening, sated and radiant with exhaustion.

“I meant for the poem to remind you about being in the moment. About not caring too much about the noise, because I certainly can’t when I’m near you“

I closed my eyes to lean into the kiss. Instead of connecting with the pillowy skin of her full lips, she braced her hands on my chest and pushed me back. She began to shake her head and turned to walk away. Totally not what I expected, I was a bit shocked and it didn’t fully register that she had just flatly turned me down.

“Josh, we can’t... we shouldn’t have done this.”

“Wha... What? What do you mean?”

She tried her best to scare me off, telling me all about the unnecessary risks of a relationship with her. I told her I didn't care. That I was willing to work it out no matter what it took.  She hemmed and hawed at the real problem before I finally got her to open up. Something deeper was bothering her and if it was me, then I could change it. I wasn’t willing to walk away from something like this with no consideration of how good it was to be with her.

“We’re are adversaries! Plus I’m older than you!”

“Well, technically we’re co-workers, not adversaries. And besides you’re not that much older than me, why does it matter so damned much to you when it doesn’t matter to me?”

“Josh, you’re.. you’re still a kid, I mean you’re barely 20! You don’t have any idea of what you want, let alone what it means to get involved with a co-worker.”

I winced at her dropping the ‘kid’ mention. That was a low blow. She was just dismissing my feelings outright because of my age? Not fair, she didn’t know me, not yet anyway... which is possibly why she would steep to that level. No I won’t go there, I’m not gonna let this devolve into a fight when we’ve barely begun. I grasped her by her shoulders to hold her in place, and to make my point.

“You can't tell me my feelings don’t mean anything because _you think_ I’m young. You’ve invaded my every thought.... I... Kathryn, I can’t stop thinking about you. I want the chance to change your mind. You need to give me the opportunity to prove to you that I meant what I said. I’m going to invest everything I am in you, in this. Why aren’t you willing to at least give me a chance?”

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You...you have nothing to lose.” She sighed, dropped her head and whispered to her feet.

“Josh...I...I’m 36.”

My vision narrowed to a point, suddenly all was white. I’d be kidding myself if I didn’t acknowledge the fact that her being that much older than me was a shock. She had to be lying about her age, because she didn’t look like she was a day over 25, I think. Truthfully, I’d never considered going out with a woman who was that much older than me. But then, I’d never met someone like Kat before. She was so much sexier, so much more complex, so much of everything I never knew I wanted than any girl I’d ever met before.

I must have been gaping while processing what she had said. I could hear the sounds of air leaving my lungs but I was certain I couldn’t breathe right. I couldn’t see her, but I felt her move out of my grip. I don’t know how long I stood there by I can only guess that My reaction didn’t have a positive impact, because when I came to the realization she wasn’t next to me I saw her standing next to the front door, hand covering her eyes, and motioned me to leave.

“Christ, I knew when you found out you’d be freaked. Just get out of here. I should never...I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m so sorry. This was fun, but fleeting...”

“WAIT! Wait. Kat, I’m not leaving. I don’t care how old you are. I care about how I feel about you and how I suspect you feel about me. That is what matters.”

She spent a good hour or more trying to get me to leave. Yes, it was a big gap to some, but not for me. She paced back and forth between the door and the living room while I waited patiently for her to get it all out of her system. It wasn’t until I told her I could come up with as many reasons for me to stay, as she could to give up. When she finally broke down, I gathered her into my lap as she tried her best to stifle her tears.  

“Josh, I... I... don’t think I can handle the pressure of... well...you.”

I sighed, as I tried to think of what I could do to make it clear that no one had to know about us. That I could, and for her I would, be discreet. Instead of words, I kissed her tenderly to express what my words weren’t making clear.

I pulled away to see if the kiss had the effect I was hoping it would. I looked into her now glassy eyes and took her face in my hands. I took a deep breath, kissed her again with as much desire as possible. I cupped her cheek with one hand, doing my best to meld her into my own body. Her hands floated up from my shoulders to wrap around my neck. She simultaneously adjusted herself on my lap and deepened the kiss. She was now straddling me and was moaning into the kiss.

“Kat, you can trust me. Completely. I would never do anything to jeopardize you, just like I know you’d never take advantage of me.”

She nodded as I gently kissed her cheek and placed a delicate peck on her lips. Looking down at me I could see she was struggling to come up with another excuse, so I pulled her in towards my mouth a third time, tangling my hands in her hair. I could feel her breathing hitch and her nipples harden as she opened her mouth to let my tongue in. Her scent, the feel of her body pressed against me, her soft lips against mine, was otherworldly. I splayed my hand across her spine to pull her closer to me. I lingered on her face and neck with my lips, her skin flushing in response while I grinned with pride. I continued to trail kisses across her collarbone and reached the small notch at the base of her neck.

I pulled back to move my hands to her blouse. I wanted to appreciate what I was forced to skip over earlier that day. I unbuttoned the top most button and pecked at the exposed skin. She ground down on my lap as I continued. Diligently attending to the flesh of her exposed chest, I had helped her shrug it off her shoulders and pulled her sleeves down to her forearms. I decided to use it to secured her arms behind her by the sleeves. I slipped a hand around to her back to pull her to me, forcing her to tip her chin up. I continued to lavish her neck, while I released the clasp of her bra.

Sliding the lacy cups to her midriff, I nuzzled my head between her breasts to press an ear to her chest. Pecking lovingly on the breast nearest my mouth, I could hear her heart beating a furious pace. I chuckled as my own heart was beating in time with hers. I clasped a breast with a free hand as I lifted my eyes to meet hers. A look of confusion flashed momentarily on her face before I began to roll her nipple between my thumb and forefingers. She gasped and lifted off of my lap in response. She simultaneously trying to escape the pleasure while moaning into the touch, inaudibly telling me she wanted more. I could feel the heat emanating from in between her thighs in response to my attention to her chest.

I slid the hand placed on her back down to her forearms where her top held her arms fast. I twisted the fabric, forcing her wrists together at the base of her spine. I used her blouse to keep her from escaping, to still her. Using the knot of her shirt around her wrists, I mashed her into me as I took a breast into my mouth and began to suckle and nip. She was panting as I laved what I could reach with tongue.

I trailed kisses between one breast and the other, Her sounds stirring me deep from within as I nipped the flesh beneath her breasts. Moving slowly across her ribcage I took my time to appreciate her smooth skin and ever growing heat gyrating on my now painful erection.

“Josh! Ahhhh. Please, let me touch you.”

“Not yet. I want you to feel how much I have to give. You keep trying to escape. Just...just let me please you?”

I twisted the top so her wrists became locked in place in the middle of her back. She gasped, as I slid a hand under her skirt and slowly rubbed her through her undergarments. She threw her head back in response as I found a rhythm in time with her breathing. I continued to kiss her chest and fill my nostrils with her scent.

With my arms encircling her I lifted her up to gently switch places, gently seating her on the couch, trapping her hands behind her against the cushions. Nipping and licking down her chest, I reached her navel to dip my tongue into it. She stifled a giggle, while I paused for a moment to enjoy her reaction. Once I had removed her panties I began with her toes, nipping and massaging with palm, fingers and thumbs. Slowly savoring every inch I could.

Her skin was flushing a to reveal beautiful shade of arousal. Once my hands had traversed below her knees she had resumed wriggling and whimpering. When I reached the intersection of her inner thighs and buttocks, I caressed and kneaded the skin there until she started to buck.

“Okay, I get the hint. You want me to touch you, no?” I teased as I gently kissed her just inside her thigh.

“AHHH! touch me, kiss me please. anything.... everything...please”

I felt compelled to play with her for awhile. I wanted to take my time to dispel any of her worries about my age, or any potential shortcomings she imagined of me. I used my tongue, teeth and lips to communicate what I had failed to elucidate with words. When she finally unraveled it was arousing to watch, to contemplate how much she could give over to me. When she settled some, I climbed up from my position beneath her to claim the spot beside her on the couch.

“Hey.”

“mmmm, Hi. Thank you. That was fun.”

“For what? I should be thanking you....wait? Are you asking me to leave?”

She giggled, “No, but I’d like some help getting out of my top? Please?”

“Only if you promise to not give up so easily. Otherwise I’ll take my time convincing you that I’m worth it.”

“I’m not sure I understand completely, do you mean more sex? Or do you mean something else?”

“I think we can take our time to discuss what that means. Yes?”

“Yes.” 


	7. A chance encounter

Josh had intruded on my personal life, again.

I know I had mentioned that I would be unavailable to him this week. I’m certain of it. But now his scent, the memory of his hands on my hips, his lips on my neck, have me frustrated. I’m not that girl. I’m better than that. I’m a strong independent woman who doesn’t need a man to make me melt like some stupid-love-struck kid.

Ugh!

After hurriedly ushering Josh out, my ire rumbled slowly in my stomach. It quickly turned into frustration biting at my throat. It eventually morphed into a simmering rage that sat heavy on my tongue making it hard to swallow. I was grinding my teeth and growling with unspent anger. I was struggling to keep my emotions in check; All because Josh made an unannounced visit. Normally josh was compliant enough, but this discretion crawled under my skin like a chigger. He knew the boundaries, but he chose to break them this time.

Rehashing the encounter is wreaking havoc on my laundry, and it isn’t until I realize that I’ve tossed a red shirt in with my whites that I snap to. This is the reason why I hadn’t been in a relationship for such a long time. I can’t deal with expectations...ANY expectations. There was no future for me with anyone. My mother had ensured that that long ago and I sealed the deal. Besides he was a kid! there was no way this could work! But Josh keeps hinting at a ‘someday.’ A completely infeasible prospect, age aside. Besides it was better this way, He was a fun distraction. I had enough on my plate to begin with.

If I were being honest, I didn’t intend on telling him about my family visiting. All of my excuses weren’t good enough, and I thought that I’d quashed his resolve. But In a moment of weakness, during a particularly gratifying and amazing interlude, he asked one last time. I unwittingly caved, but I made sure to punctuate it with the caveat of our never being seen together, that and I needed some ‘alone time’ with my family.

I thought that I had put the end to that discussion, but like a disobedient puppy he showed up, all adorable and begging me to introduce him to my family. It was aggravating, and were he an actual Jr. Associate I’d have ripped him a new one without a second thought. The longer I sat there staring into my glass of pinot, the more infuriated I became.

My mother’s voice drifting close to my ear broke me out of my reverie “Seriously Kathryn, what’s wrong? You’ve been lost in your own little world ever since your co-worker left...if you need to go back to work, we understand.”

“Wha... OH! yeah.. yeah. I think I do need to address that stuff now rather than later. How about we meet up in about two hours? Is that okay?”

Without waiting for a response, I snatched up my essentials and headed out the door to my car. My resolve to address this immediately was forefront in my mind. He was in my head and I couldn’t think straight. I knew he intentionally ‘disobeyed’ me and tried to hijack my personal time with his own agenda. I was angry at the fact that he was so cavalier about everything, including the fall-out if we were to be discovered.

Driving somewhat recklessly, I pulled onto his street and came to a stop before turning into his gateway. I noticed that there was a motorcycle with two passengers situated across the street. Obviously paparazzi, as the second passenger had a zoom lens adjusted right at Josh’s front gate. The sight of them deflated me instantly.

I looking at my reflecting in the rear view mirror, I looked disheveled and haggard. My composure was one of an angry lover, not a business associate or partner. Obviously not someone who should be seen at Josh Hutchersons’ house mid-day on a weekend. Now there was no way for me to resolve this without a chance of being seen, and unintentionally outing our ‘relationship.’

I huffed, and kept driving. He had to have trapped me. Sly little bastard knew that I couldn’t retaliate. Forced to drive off, I tried to regain control of my own thoughts. I didn’t like being one-upped, and He didn’t know all the pieces of my puzzle. I needed to regain control of things, so to calm myself down I listed off what he thought he knew of me.

I am 36 years old.  
I love Mexican food.  
I like Hendricks Gin, good whiskey, and prefer most of my liquor neat.  
I eat maybe one to two meals a day.  
I have a mother, and two cousins whom my mother cares for since her sister’s demise 15 years ago.  
I have a preference for his kisses on my neck.  
I have an insatiable need regarding his, manhood.

Most importantly I am Lionsgate’s attorney, specifically for the THG franchise. Which means that I shouldn’t be seen cavorting with the talent. Talent who is widely publicized as in the middle of contract negotiations.

As I turn back onto the freeway, instead of going home, I decided to head towards my office. The first thing I need to do to regain control of this situation is to review Josh’s contract. I’ve been avoiding it since that first encounter, but I need to make sure that I’m not biased. 

His requests hadn’t seemed that irreverent at the time. He is a rising star, but he’s not as promising as Jennifer Lawrence, or an A-lister like Woody, Phillp or Donald. A 10% increase in pay for each movie, and a net 2 point incremental add for each 100 million in the box office, plus several marketing points.

Just to be on the safe side I reviewed the other contracts to gauge the comparative gains. They were marquee names, and assured a particular level of attendance by the adult segment, which assures movies longevity in the market. Their contracts were pretty comparatively staid. But something felt off. None of the other talent had requested marketing points. And knowing Josh I suspected that he may have agreed to asking for the marketing points without understanding how unusual it was for a non-producer title.

Shit.

How did I miss this? Did I really let this slip because of my reluctance to review his contract? I was pissed, both at myself and with him. Maybe I’d underestimated him. Maybe I’d seriously misconstrued my affections for him. I couldn’t very well recuse myself this early into the negotiations, it would send red-flags. Plus it would be a public admission of our... relationship. The potential for it to get out of hand would be a PR nightmare for me and my employer. Regardless, I was certain of the fact that Lionsgate wouldn’t agree to additional marketing points, plus his multi-million dollar paycheck.

I knew it was risky to ask him to come into the office. But my instinct told me that if I were ‘on my game’ that I would have done that the moment I saw it. Josh’s affection and charm forced me to do something I shouldn’t do. I’d slipped up and let something this important slide.

I decided to call his agent right away and schedule a meeting for the next possible opening. To keep the meeting professional, I made sure to invite his manager and PR agent to be present to ensure that we were both on good behavior. Satisfied that I had soundly resolved my lack of professionalism, I headed home.

I had promised my cousin, Drake, I would treat him to a night out as he had just had his 21st birthday. I got ready upon my return to ‘do it up big’ because He’d been bragging about the fact that I was too old for the night-life. Having been there for a good portion of his awkward adolescence I couldn’t let that jab go. So I relented and agreed to show him around town.

Personally, I was over the LA nightlife. Don’t get me wrong, I used to love going out. But now, my options were limited to clubs where I was the ‘cougar’ in the room, or lounges where I was the prey. Regardless I was judged in either situation, or normally spent most of my time with a sour look on my face. My temperament was due to the lack of men who could hold a conversation at the lounges or the lack finesse of the men in the clubs.

But, I was going to make Drake happy. He was a good kid, and we liked each other’s company. Besides the fact that we were both tired of watching Emily do the ‘fangirl’ / ‘teenager” thing by going on all of the star tours and shopping until there was nothing left to buy. I had always identified with Drake, he had the same sense of dry humor and I practically raised him.

I’d settled on Bar Marmont having been there before and impressed by the quality of the drinks. I could have done without the atmosphere, but I figured that worst case scenario I could at least enjoy the floorshow of the LA bar scene. I re-emerged from my room dressed and ready to gather him up and head out to dinner and a night on the town.

“Drake, uh, You’re not dressed? we’re going out tonight, right?”

“Yeah, I thought you said we’d be going out to party.”

I sighed audibly, making my distaste known about his current state of dress. He was looked every minute of his inexperienced and young 21-year-old self. Drake was in canvas shoes, dark jeans, a dark henley t-shirt and a ball cap. I realized then that his definition of a “night out” probably included getting blasted on shooters and doing keg-stands.

“Drake, this is LA, not Pensylvania. I’m taking you ‘out on the town’ not partying. It’s…It’s different out here. There is a level of expectation you HAVE to meet. When you come out with the adults you have to look the part.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“A standard of acceptable dress for a ‘Man’ means you don’t look like you were raised in a barn. A suit with dress shoes and looking like you give a damn is how you present yourself. Not like you are about to do a line of jaeger shots and gang bang a drunk chick. Go find something acceptable and put some product in your hair. You aren’t going to go out wearing a ball cap.”

His face fell and he sulked all the way back to the guest room to change. I took the time to confirm our reservations and check e-mails. About 30 minutes later he re-emerged in an brown shoes and blue slacks with an ill-fitting dress coat.

“Christ, Drake... can you even dress yourself? Blue slacks and brown shoes don’t go together. At least not those slacks. Leave your coat behind and go change back into your jeans. At least that would look somewhat okay.”

“Fuck you Kathryn. Obviously, I can dress myself. And if I remember you were the one raised in the ‘stable’ not me.”

“Whatever, we’re almost late for our dinner reservations. Go change so we can leave.”

At dinner, Drake droned on and on about his future. Only partially listening, I found myself jealous of his potential. It was bright and happy, without worries or consequences. The way he saw the world was so, naive and carefree it only furthered to remind me of how many responsibilities I had to manage. As I half-listened to him talk about going to so-and-so’s house and couch surfing, my mind wandered back to this afternoon and Josh’s appearance.

I drifted between Drake’s stories of the many friends and girls coming in and out of his life I realized that he was not unlike Josh. They were the same age, and just at the beginning of their professional lives. Drake was smart and had a future in finance or business, and if he fucked up at this stage in his life, the recovery period was negligible. It could be chalked up to ‘youthful inexperience’ and forgotten.

I wasn’t so lucky anymore. I knew better. Plus there was the added pain of breaking through all of the damned glass ceilings just to make it. For a woman, the more risk you took on the more you had to lose. I was lost in my own thoughts when Drake poked me with a chopstick.

“Kathryn, what do you think?”

“I’m sorry Drake, I wasn’t listening. What was the question?”

“I figured you weren’t listening. Dessert or to the next spot?”

Before we left for Bar Marmont, I went to the ladies room to freshen up. I asked Drake to wait for me at the restaurant bar with explicit instructions not to do shooters of any kind. While at the mirror reapplying lipstick, a woman next to me leaned over.

“He’s a handsome one, your date.”

“Thank you, I’ll be sure to tell him. But he’s not my date. He’s my cousin.”  
“Oh! Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it...um…So you’re not dating him then?”

I inspected my interrogator in the mirror. She was a woman in her mid-to-late forties with all of the trappings of ‘Orange County Housewife’ written all over her. Extensions, pancake makeup, falsies, skin tight jeans along with low cut blouse and water-bra. I had to catch myself to keep from guffawing. Her face painted an image that was more than just casual conversation, she was a full-fledged cougar on the prowl. The real intent of her question was asking if she could have my cousin.

The idea of watching Drake squirm while being hit on by this woman made tickled me. But the more I thought of it, the underlying issue wasn’t that this woman was interested, but that she believed me to be a ‘cougar’ as well. I was insulted by the insulation, but it dawned on me that I am a ‘cougar.’

I began to think of Josh once again. Was I the same as this woman interested in 21-year-old Drake? Or was I just “sport-fucking” a twenty year old actor? Was there a difference?

I excused myself from the conversation as gracefully as I could, and quickly escorted Drake from the bar. On the drive over to Bar Marmont I told drake about the encounter in the ladies room and he had a good laugh her expense. Ever the twenty-something, He asked if she was hot, and I instinctively responded with wit and derision. He doubled over in laughter, and I smiled and laughed along.

A needle of a thought pierced my conscious. I was no different from the woman in the ladies room. In actuality, I was confused and hurt. Why does my instinct automatically go to making fun of an older woman wants to date a younger man? Ultimately I knew why, women aren’t supposed to be attractive past 25… especially in LA; I was well past that point.

But then again, I wasn’t any different from any other successful man doing as he pleased. I was getting my kicks from a younger, handsome, and virile man. I was justified in getting what I wanted because I’d worked hard and had earned it. I wasn’t like a common “John” who would pay for services, satisfy himself and leave. I wasn’t keeping a ‘stable’ of young people to take advantage of. I’m nothing like my mother. There was only Josh, no one else... so it made me like any other successful ‘professional’ man. I struggled to keep down the inner turmoil in my head. As we pulled up to the valet for the Chateau Marmont, I noticed the paparazzi waiting out front.

Drake’s eyes got wide as he asked expectantly “Does that mean that there are celebrities here?”

“Probably, but remember you will only embarrass yourself by asking for autographs or photos of anyone.” Drake gave me a sullen look, obviously upset by the prospect of not being able to document his possible encounters with ‘stars’

“Just do me a favor and pull up your big-kid pants and act like an adult. No fist-pumping and absolutely no name dropping.”

As we entered the bar there was a buzz in the air. You could tell there was something electric about the atmosphere that night that could mean a multitude of things. I was already bored at the prospect of wading through a sea of ‘hangers on’ and fame seekers. The potential of being bored all night by someone who may have an inkling of who I am was not enticing in the least.

Once inside, Drake’s eyes lit up. Before he could do anything to terribly embarrassing, I pulled him aside and handed him my credit card. “Open a tab.” He grinned from ear to ear, and turned to head towards the bar. I grabbed him by the shoulder before he took another step to stare him down.

“You’re with the big boys now so you will drink scotch, whiskey or bourbon only. Nothing mixed, no shooters. Beer is acceptable, so long as it’s not Bud Coors.”

“So miller high-life is a go?” Flicking him on the nose, wincing and rubbing his face in response, “What!?!? It’s the champagne of beers!...Okay…okay! What do I order?”

“Get a...a....McCallens,18, single malt, on the rocks. Get me a dry Hendrick's martini. Think you can remember that?”

Nodding towards the bar, we parted ways as I went to find a corner to sit and take in the atmosphere. While wading through the crowd, a thrumming feeling was building in the room. It was coming from behind me so I turned to find out what it was. The room had shifted so that a group of women had moved to one particular section of the bar. This kind of reaction usually meant one thing, a male celebrity and his entourage had arrived.

The positive result was that most of the tables had been abandoned while the girls had gone fishing for their ‘big-catch.’ I quickly found a table towards the back and settled in, when I overheard a conversation to my left.

“Who's the name that arrived?”

“Some guy who was in a blockbuster this summer. I think he’s like a baker or something?”

“Oh yeah! I heard its a good movie.... his names...Hutch-something...”

I froze.


	8. Finding Answers at the bottom of a Glass

I was bent out of shape about being kicked out of Kathryn’s house. It didn’t help that she was so put off at the prospect that I wanted to meet her family. I knew it was early in our relationship, but I had no doubt in my mind what she meant to me. I deserved to know more about her, and if I had to force it out of her I would. 

I’d been understanding, given our current situation, but she wasn’t being forthcoming about her personal life at all. There were moments, where we’d totally connect and I could tell that if I gave her the slightest push she’d give me everything. I knew there was more to her if only she’d let me in, but I was tired of being put out all the damn time. 

I know what she initially wanted, but I just couldn’t help how I felt about her. I didn’t mean to fall, but we’ve spent every single night together in the past month. Every encounter is secret and it made it incredibly hot. We had to be discreet; I know the precarious situation that we’re in. But…

…But with one exception. I got her to relent to a daylight outing. She agreed to go out on a hike, but she chose the spot and met me there. I knew what she was doing, she wanted to control the situation, but truthfully I was just so happy to have her out in the daylight and for her to meet driver. But she was wary of any affection the entire time; making sure that there wasn’t a park ranger or other hiker who might chance upon us. She kept her distance and never once let me show her any affection. 

Pissed off at being rejected for what felt like the millionth time, I told her I might as well go home. Without skipping a beat she agreed, then told me I should go. I was so stunned, that when she turned to walk away I didn’t follow. I waited for like, 15 minutes before I realized that she had literally left me. I was pissed at her the rest of that afternoon on the drive home. So when my gate slowly slid open to reveal her car in my driveway, I was enraged. 

Kathryn knew exactly what to do to get under my skin. She understood that I hated being dismissed and patted on the head like an errant pet. Yet she did it specifically to get at me, to piss me off. So when I saw her car, all coherent thought flew out the window. When I got through the door, she was standing in the kitchen with her back to me. In a haze of frustration and anger, I grabbed her by the arm and let it be known that I wasn’t going to put up with her bullshit anymore. 

She responded timidly, keeping her eyes downcast. My first thought was that she had dismissed me, again, which only pissed me off further. She was never one to be shy or demure, and I wasn’t in the right frame of mind that evening. So when she didn’t respond the way I expected her to, I did what I knew would get a rise out of her. I claimed her, I needed to make my point that she was mine. 

I was not gentle, but she didn’t tell me to stop. She initially resisted, then suddenly she leaned in and let go. The inconsistency in her reaction confused then ruffled me. It felt as if she was egging me on. So instead of stopping, I ripped her tank from her chest, and dared her to respond. Instead of seeing her cower or fearful, like I expected, she smirked, leaned into me and hissed a quiet ‘yes’ as I pinned her to the countertop. The sibilant sound of her teeth against my neck made my mind to go blank with lust. Her words drove my impetuous hands to move of their own accord. I needed her then, and the fact that she was responding to my being rough made it difficult for me to keep my body in check. Before I could register what I was doing, I had her bent over the kitchen countertop. Her shorts forced down about her thighs, and a hand on her forearm holding her in place against the cool surface.

In this supplicant position, one thought surged through my mind. I’m in control here. So I slapped her right ass cheek hard with an open palm and watched as the shockwaves sent ripples up her hips and down her thighs. The rosy blush of my hand print and her responding throaty groan made me lightheaded with desire. I groped and kneaded the flesh under my hand before repeating the process on the other cheek. I was urged on by her reaction more than I had anticipated. It was hot, and I was in control, finally.

“I’m going to take what I want until you give me what I need.” 

She chuckled. It was a provocation. I couldn’t stand the fact that she was baiting me, so I repeated my assault a several more times. I was turned on by the flush that was spreading across her hindquarters, and so was Kathryn. She began to pant. I could tell she was enjoying it, as the skin around her shoulders flushed and there was a distinct scent of her want in the air. 

“You’ve not been nice to me, so I won’t be either.” 

She didn’t respond, other than to wiggle her perfectly reddened ass in my face. I could barely stand it, I knew that she would never relent unless I took complete control of her. I yanked out my cock, and slammed into her in one swift and forceful move. I barely had my wits about me long enough to remember to grab her hips to keep her from pulling away. 

Her passionate curses and mewling meant that I finally got what I wanted. I got her to give in, to be mine. 

I teased her at first, rolling my hips until I could feel her juices begin to flow. Then I pounded her repeatedly until I could feel her thighs tremor with her oncoming release. I wanted to let go so badly, to feel her shudder and pulse around me, pulling me deeper. But that wasn’t the point. I needed her to know. I needed her… all of her, and even though I was close to finishing, I stopped. Turning her around to look her in the eyes. I needed to see her reaction to my taking control, and getting my way. 

She whimpered and went to snatch at my cock. She gave a single purposeful tug and I nearly lost my resolve. As she retracted her hand in anticipation of another twist of her wrist, I slapped her hand away. 

“No.”

“Please Josh, don’t stop.”

“Tell me you want me.”

“YES! Oh god yes. I want you.”

“Tell me you need me.”

“Yes I need you. Please, Josh help me…finish… please…” 

She reached down and began to teasingly rub her pussy while clasping a breast and tweaking the nipple with the other hand. Her eyes were dark with desire and I could tell that she was getting close on her own.

“No” I grabbed her wrists and held them to her chest. “No you need me. You need me for more than just a good lay. Dammnit Kathryn! I deserve to know more, to be more. Let me in.”

My words shocked her as her eyes got wide with confusion and fear. I had struck a chord. There was a sudden shift in her that if I hadn’t been staring so intently, I might have missed. She let out a sigh and her gaze softened. I let go of her wrists, as she slowly melted into my chest. 

“Yes Joshua. I need you...I need you to understand that this…is scary for me. I am doing my best. I care about you, more than I thought I could. I but I… I’ve got to protect you from me. You’ve got to be patient, okay?”

Tipping her chin up, she lifted onto her toes and softly touched her lips to mine. The gravity of her words gave way to gentle kisses, then caresses, and then finally a slower burn. She had satisfied my answer the best she knew how, but it left me wanting. I was looking for a more definitive answer. I was expecting to hear that she needed only me. Instead, by not stating that explicitly, she left me to believe that we weren’t exclusive. That she wasn’t going to open up to me. 

That was the last encounter we had before she kicked me out today, and wasn’t much different from many of the others. She’d leave me wanting, confused and intrigued. As a result, Kathryn had eaten up most of my mental energy over the past month. I’m not even entirely sure how she did it. I’d be frustrated, feeling used, and ready to call it quits and then she’d do something awesome and psyche-shattering and I’d…I guess would reset. Going back to wanting her, to trying to figure her out.

It was starting to bug my friends. They were not shy about mentioning my absence. Frankly, now that I thought it over, it was starting to bug me. When I finally came out of my own head I took a look at the time on my iPhone It was 8:30 in the evening. I’d spent the better part of the afternoon and evening brooding over her.

I also noticed a text from Andre. He wanted to go out and get a few drinks. I was feeling the need for a scotch after this afternoon’s disappointment. So l agreed to meet up at my old place so he could drive us both to Bar Marmont. I needed to blow off some steam and since I couldn’t do that with Kathryn… might as well be with friends. By the time I met up with Andre I was ready to drown her out of my thoughts. 

We got to Bar Marmont without any fanfare, and luckily the golddiggers and fame seekers weren’t out in force. Just a few cuties here and there, but none of them really caught my eye. I had to say the saving grace of the place was the fact that they would serve me without question and there was a strict no photos policy. 

I sidled up to the bar and ordered a McCallens 18 single malt. The guy next to me nodded and I nodded in response. When the bartender put down two glasses of the same scotch, I was surprised that I wasn’t the only one who liked good scotch.

“Good choice.”

“Yeah? I’m not a big whiskey drinker myself. My cousin told me to get this.”

“Well he’s got good taste in liquor. McCallens is a scotch by the way. But I won’t tell anyone that you didn’t know the difference.” 

“Huh! Didn’t know. What’s the difference?”

We started chatting it up, I told him what I knew of the differences between scotch and whiskey. He was surprised by my knowledge, and I attributed it to my growing up in Kentucky. The conversation turned to basketball and turns out he was a wildcats fan. We hit it off pretty well, he seemed like a cool guy. 

“The name’s Drake. Nice to meet you.”

“Josh. same.”

We talked some more about sports. I got the immediate feeling that he had no clue who I was and wasn’t from LA. He told me he was staying with his cousin. He had just graduated from college and was looking for work in New York. He came from a close knit family had a younger sister who came out with him on this trip. We chatted on about family and having younger siblings while the bartender returned with another drink for him, a dry Hendriks martini. 

Once placed in front of him, the bartender leaned over and mouthed a price to him. The look on his face was priceless when he heard it. I was about to offer to buy him the drinks when he pulled out a credit card. 

“Open up a tab with this, and put his drink on the tab too!”

It was nice of him, I graciously accepted and offered to get the next round. I was about to ask him to join us at a table, when the bartender looked at the card and then looked at Drake in confusion. 

“Uh you don’t look like a ‘Kathryn Jacobs’ to me. You got some form of ID.”

“Yeah - sorry - that’s my cousin, she’s the brunette over there”

The crowd magically parted, and there she sat. Sexy as hell and looking as scared as a calf being led to slaughter. I couldn’t help the grin that spread from ear to ear. Drake waved in her direction, she sat there stunned for a moment and then waved back. Instead of a smile, a scowl spread across her face. I didn’t care if it was directed at me I couldn’t be more pleased at my dumb luck. I was talking to Kathryn’s cousin.  
The opportunity to needle her made me giddy. “You mind if I thank your cousin for the drink?”

“Sure, come on. I’ll introduce you.”


	9. Cock Fight

My mind has gone momentarily blank while I chastise myself for choosing Bar Marmont. Jesus CHRIST! My heart was in my throat, and I begun to hyperventilate. My emotions are bouncing between rage and fear. feeling caught, close my eyes and focus on the fight to down the instinct to run. I slow my breathing and begin to list out the facts of the moment.

 

The flow of people in a bar worked in a pretty specific way.  
Men would roam the outskirts to leer at the girls or stay close to the liquor.  
If I stayed put we’d glide past each other.  
Most of the girls here would throw themselves at him.  
The likelihood that he's see me, let alone run into each me was minimal.  
Just stay put, and he’ll coast right by me.  
  
My mind was busily building pro/con matrices while I subtly melted into the plush seating, steering clear of any down-lights. Sitting as still as possible, quietly cursing how long it was taking Drake to return with my drink.

As luck would have it, a guy approached and offered light conversation. I shooed him off, but he didn’t take the hint. Instead, too up residence across from me and began to talk. I my best to ignore him, instead keeping my eyes glued to the bar searching for Drake and my drink. 

I needed something to calm my nerves, and this guys yammering wasn’t helping. My mind was whirring with useless social science information, making me more and more agitated. That wasn't helping either, so I closed my eyes to take a deep breath and focus.

Breathe in, let it out slow, and stop worrying. Repeat. I just enjoy the company of someone else rather than get wound up over Josh. 

I let my eyes trail off the bar to get a better look at my booth companion. Like myself, older than a majority of the crowd. Wagering a guess, he was probably in his mid forties. His suit was tailored nicely, and plus wasn’t wearing any gaudy show-pieces to attract any gadflies. Handsome, he had a striking similarity to a young Christopher Reeve in his prime. Dark hair, light eyes, broad shoulders and an air of confidence that normally would cause most women to drop their panties on the spot. Obviously had money, or knew how to show it well. His voice was firm, but smooth. What he was talking about I couldn’t really decipher, as I wasn’t listening.

He wasn’t a bad looking gent, and he was confident enough to stay after I had pitiably shoo'ed him off meant that he was at least someone to be considered. When the fog of my own thoughts calmed, I realized that he was asking me something. If ‘I frequented Central or South America or if I was from that region.’

Not an entirely lame pick-up line, but still pretty bad.

“Is that the best you can come up with?”

“Well not really, but you seem to have ignored my other lame one-liner’s, so I thought something more traditionally corny might work? It was either that or ‘What’s your Sign’ and I figured that you’d appreciate the former more." I couldn't control an instinctive eye-roll at the cheesiness.

"How am I doing so far.”

A laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. His obvious jab at the both of us and our ‘out-of-water-ness’ had lightened my mood. I gave him my name. The gesture softened his features, and the smile he flashed made him look…sexy. He offered his name in return, C-something. I think it was Chris. He made a mention about the decor and then motioned to the bar.

“It looks like someone is trying to get your attention from the bar. Do you know them?”

I looked up to see Drake waving at me, hinting at the bartender to wave back. Next to him stood Josh, shit eating grin and all. I stiffened, as my eyes got wide and the instinct to run causing my legs to tense and my toes to jump. I heard Chris ask ‘is that was their excuse for flirting, or do you know them?'

“Yes, unfortunately I do. The one waving is my cousin. He’s from out of town and needed to be shown the ropes on how to act like a big kid. The other…uh...no...don’t know him.”

“Wow. _My_ cousins would play jokes on me, never take me out to a nice bar like this. You're probably the coolest cousin a young man could ask for.”

“Ha! I did it more out of obligation to the ladies of New York City. I wouldn’t want to waste their time trying to re-train him.”

He chuckled at my joke and replied “Well…we must each do our part. Teach them well and let them lead the way.”

I giggled, “Did you just drop a Whitney Houston reference? I’d bet you’ve been waiting to use that one for some time.”

This time he laughed aloud. He leaned in placing a hand near my thigh glancing it ever-so-slightly, “I shouldn’t confess this, but I am a huge Whitney fan. Been one since her first album in ‘85”

Before I could continue the witty banter about 1985 or Whitney Houston, Drake and Josh made their way over towards us. The conversation paused as Drake cleared his throat. I let my eyes fall momentarily fall on Josh’s face where, for a millisecond, a flash of rage and confusion clouded his features. I couldn’t read him well in the dim lighting. Whereas, I hoped that he could see me. I stared directly at Drake and was doing my best to inform him through body language that we **didn’t** know one another.

“Here’s your drink. A dry Hendricks Martini. And uh, this is Josh.”

“Thank you Drake. I didn’t catch your name? Jake you say?”

I didn’t look at him, but at my drink. I sipped deeply, trying hard not to gulp it all down to calm my nerves.

When I looked up from my glass to catch his reaction, his eyes flashed with anger at the incorrect pronouncement of his name. The flush that filled his cheeks was not due to the alcohol that he had in his hand. “Josh. The name’s Josh. Actually I wanted to compliment you on your choice of scotch for Drake here. Not many women know the quality stuff from the rot-gut.”

I locked in on Josh’s eyes, hoping that what I was about to say would translate. “You probably mean most girls. Ask any woman of substance, and she should know the ‘quality stuff’ when she has it.”

Assuming a mask of indifference, I pleaded inwardly that he would get the double-entendre. That he was what I wanted, but the current situation didn’t allow for me to openly address that desire.There was a pregnant pause as it became obvious it went over his head.  His face registered hurt,  and  it became clear that he was too dense or drunk to get it. So I did my the nice thing to give him a graceful exit to the awkward conversation that we were headed towards.

“I’m sorry I’ve been rude. I’m Kathryn.”

At the prompting, Chris stood to introduce himself. At his full height, Chris towered over Josh. He offered his hand and when Josh took it I could see him grip it with more force than necessary. There was a cold exchange of stares between them and I could see them both appraising the other.

I knew this dance, they were both trying to find a weakness. Youth and passion versus age and wisdom. I could feel testosterone wafting in waves off of the both of them. I clearing my throat to defuse it was enough to catch both of their eyes. Josh backed down when he glanced in my direction, and then quickly looked away.

“Yeah well, thanks for the drink Kathryn...uh... Drake, care to join me and my friends, it looks like your cousin is otherwise occupied.”

My face fell involuntarily. This was the last possible place I could address him as anything other than a stranger. I couldn't acknowledge him like he wanted, and he couldn't do the same either. I took another sip of my drink while Drake took off with Josh in the opposite direction. I was left with a mixture of sadness and wanting as I watched him walk away. He never glanced back while I watched him disappear amongst a gaggle of twittering girls eager to make his acquaintance.

The night dragged on as the back and forth between Chris and I began to wear thin. There was only so much that witty banter that can sustain a conversation. Although handsome, he wasn’t what I wanted. Plus I got subtle and no-so-subtle hints that he was looking for a business-trip fling. Didn't help the situation that the deep suntan line on the third digit on his left hand was obviously recent. I wasn’t biting and the now awkward banter came to a lull. His advances were getting more aggressive than I desired, so I excused myself to go to the restroom.

I felt a vibration in my purse as a new message came in. It was from Josh.

_Josh: "Leaving? Looked like you were enjoying yourself with grandpa."_

I sighed. It was sophomoric to resort to playground tactics to get a rise out of me. It wasn’t unusual, but it irked me that he believed that it would work.

_Me: “Thinking about leaving, if you’re gonna be a jerk.”_

_Josh: “WTF? how am i the bad guy? you’re flirting with another guy!”_

I was exhausted at the prospect of a fight, and suddenly desiring nothing more than slipping into bed and going to sleep. I decided to text Drake instead of responding to Josh.

_Me:“I’m off, think you can find your way home?”_

_Drake:“Sure, gimmie the address, just in case.”_

The bar had run its course for me, and I was tired. Tired at a multitude of things, but primarily with the possibility of a fight that Josh was desperately trying to have in public. I was tired with the fact that this ‘fling’ had gotten out of hand and that I had let it. I was tired at having to evade a complete explanation as to why we couldn’t be a couple and that it wasn’t possible, _again._ Lastly, I was tired of having to run from my past and protect the ones I cared about from the mistakes other people made.

I was headed for the door, when someone grabbed my forearm from behind forcing me to stop dead in my tracks.

“Leaving without saying goodbye?”

I flinched, instinctively jerked my arm back. Turning to look at my accoster, Chris had lust in his eyes and there was a drunken heat pulsing from him. I cursed my instincts for telling me that he was a 'hitter' and to avoid this encounter. I gave him a hard look, implying his crossing the boundary of propriety, and he relaxed his grip on my arm. In a soft voice he leaned in, “If you’re done holding class for the children, I’d really like talk some more. Maybe get a cup of coffee?”

I needed to go, but I had to deal with this delicately. I smiled shyly, and hoped he was gentleman enough to not press his luck. I placed a hand over his to remove it from my forearm. I slowly began to shaking my head ‘no’ while I spoke.

“Thank you, but I’m tired. Although I really did have a nice time and it was a delight to meet you. Maybe someone else will have the pleasure tonight.”

I was reaching into my purse to get the valet ticket when I heard a yell in our general direction. I was engrossed in searching through my purse, when the yelling got louder and closer. With my back turned it wasn’t until the agitator was nearly upon us that I looked up to see Josh approaching Chris with a menacing strut and glassy look in his eyes.

He crashed into Chris with his full weight. Chris stumbled back, stunned by the unexpected assault. Josh stumbled a bit and appeared to be drunk. How drunk was up for debate, but he obviously wasn’t thinking clearly.

“Leave her alone!”

Josh’s puffed up chest and clenched his fists. He was ready to fight but in his current state I wasn’t sure he couldn’t he tell that he was out matched. I was about to step in and break up this disastrous situation, when Chris regained his composure and responded from behind me.

“Calm down, boy. The lady has already made it clear she’s not interested.”

I turned on Chris, in an attempt to quell this confrontation when Josh piped up “I’m more of a man than you. How about I prove it?!”

Twirling towards Josh, I put my hands up attempted to push him away “There is nothing for you to prove. G..Go take a cold shower. ” I waved him off and tried to hand my valet ticket to the now approaching driver and slowly surrounding crowd of security.

Josh’s eyes lazily focused, then he reached out to take my hand. My brow furrowed, my eyes hard, I subtly shook my head no. From behind me I could hear a mumble of something and before I knew what had happened, Josh was charging. In a flurry of activity, I was shoved aside by a bouncer who quickly scooped up Josh then headed in the opposite direction of a second bouncer who directed Chris towards an exit.

I looked around a bit bewildered, and narrowed my eyes in the direction of the valet, imploring him to just hand over the ticket so I could get the hell out of there. Keys in hand, I peeled out of there as fast as I could, hoping against hope that there were no paps nearby to catch a photo.


	10. the morning after

The crowd cleared to allow me a better view, I noticed that she was playfully chatting to some old guy who had gotten uncomfortably close to her. Doing my best to keep my instincts in check on the torturously slow walk towards Kathryn, realized I couldn’t blame the guy. She looked so beautiful, but she was all mine. Try as he might, I was the one she came home with. It was my name that she screamed at the top of her lungs because I was the one that brought her there. So what some dude was hittin on my lady. Once I was on the scene and made my claim, she’d dismiss him. 

I couldn’t help staring at her delicate ankles with her sexy blue suede pumps imagining them floating by my ears and her blue dress pushed up above her waist. Her hair disheveled, cheeks flushed, and eyes rolling back as she shuddered and shook beneath me. Damn I wish this place wasn’t so crowded, I would totally take her to some dark corner and have my way with her. I took a quick gulp of the biting scotch to calm my nerves and keep myself in check. It did me no good to think like that if I had to stay on her good side. 

“Thank you Drake. I didn’t catch your name? Jake you say?” 

She didn’t even have the decency to look at me. What in the hell was she playing at? Was she doing this for her cousin? Or worse was she doing this for the dinosaur sitting next to her? I clutched my glass harder as I understood that she didn’t want to acknowledge me in public but this was frustrating. No… this was fucking bullshit. Take a deep breath Josh. Keep calm. Okay, I got that she didn’t know me in public. I figured there’d be no harm in starting with a clean slate and charming her in front of her cousin. It was worth a shot… so why not?

“Josh. The name’s Josh. Actually, I wanted to compliment you on your choice of scotch. Not many women know the quality stuff from the rot-gut.”

She took a sip from her drink, a breath and then locked her gaze on me. I got lost in her eyes.  
“You probably mean most girls. Ask any woman of substance, and she should know the ‘quality stuff’ when she has it.” 

Wait, what? 

Now I was totally confused, did she mean me or did she mean the relic sitting next to her? I couldn’t really tell, but the fact that she had my stare and wasn’t breaking it, made my head swim. Maybe it was the scotch, or maybe it was being in her presence. I couldn’t read her face well, and I think I saw something that made me believe that she meant me? Did she mean that I was “quality stuff?” I couldn’t tell, but before I could even formulate an appropriate response, she pipped back up. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been rude. I’m Kathryn.”

At the prompting, the old guy stood and offered his hand. I needed to make clear that size didn’t matter, and that Kathryn was mine. I firmly gripped his hand while sizing him up. Although taller than me, his suit couldn’t hide the fact that he wasn’t as strong as the padding would make you believe. The slight lean to the right meant that he probably favored his left hand. His hands weren’t rough, so he wasn’t a fighter. A quick sweep of the right knee and he’d go down quick. 

I could take him. Yeah, he’d go down quick. 

Kathryn cleared her throat, and I glanced in down to try and catch her eye. I caught it briefly as she quickly looked away. I could only guess that she had decided that this introduction was over. Okay, fine. She wants to pretend that we don’t exist, lets see how she likes the same treatment.

If she was going to do this to me, well I could shoot right back. There was a gaggle of girls just waiting to throw themselves at me. If she was planning on making me jealous it wasn’t going to work. She didn’t know who she was dealing with. 

“Yeah well, thanks for the drink Kathryn. Drake, care to join me and my friends, it looks like your cousin is otherwise occupied.”

We headed in the opposite direction of Kathryn and the museum piece, and were swarmed with a bunch of girls. I turned my back to the bar so that I could keep an eye on Kat, and was about to get another scotch on the rocks when a cute brunette sidled up to me and suggested Tequila shots. 

Sure why not. 

Before long she was suggesting body shots. Yeah, too pushy. I politely declined, as I could see she was trying to impress-slash-entice me and I was still too fucking pissed at Kat to consider it. Drake, however, was a good wing-man. He swooped right in and took her up on her offer. 

I went to look up to see what Kathryn was doing and noticed that the old guy sat alone, but looking expectant. Okay… good that confirmed it. She was giving him the slip. I figured now was my chance to figure out what the hell she was thinking. I was still pissed but needed to play it cool. 

::Leaving? Looked like you were enjoying yourself with grandpa::

I hit the send button before I could really think about what I had texted her. I didn’t have to wait for her response.

::Thinking about leaving, if you’re gonna be a jerk.::

::WTF? how am i the bad guy? you’re shamelessly flirting with another guy!::

While I waited for her to reply, I took another swig from my drink. It didn’t have that spicy edge to it that it did at the beginning of the night. Normally not a good sign, but I still felt in control and I wasn’t feeling buzzed. I started to tap at the back of my phone while waiting for her reply.  
Fuck it was hot in here, and why in the hell is it taking her so long to respond. I saw that Kat’s cousin, Drake, took out his phone and was typing a text to someone. 

“What’s up?”

“Not much. Hey how much cab money would it take to get to Lake Hollywood Dr from here?” 

“No worries man, We’ll give you a lift. But I thought you came with your cousin? “

“Yeah she’s cuttin out. But thanks! I appreciate it.”

Shit. 

I looked back to the booth where she had been sitting and noticed senior citizen had left as well. She couldn’t actually be leaving with that mummified excuse for a man?! I had to confirm for myself that she was leaving on her own. I headed for the ladies room to see if she was in line. No luck. 

I decided to check the exit and there she was sashaying that fine ass the whole way to the Valet. I was following from a distance when I noticed that the old dude had caught up to her first. It looked like he grabbed her pretty hard on her forearm, and she looked a little panicked. I saw my opportunity. 

“Hey! Hey! Leave her alone!”

I saw her shaking her head, and it looked to me like she was trying to escape. Instinct kicked in and I shoulder checked him. He stumbled back, and looked a bit surprised. I had to make it known that he couldn’t just grab at my woman like that. I was ready to fight, but wanted to make sure she was okay. I took a beat to find Kat’s face, only to realize that the lights were swirling a bit as I steadied myself. From behind Kathryn he spoke up. 

“Calm down, boy. The lady has already made it clear she’s not interested.”

Aww, fuck! This motha fucker wants it. “I’m more of a man than you. How about I prove it?!” 

Before I could throw a punch, Kat placed a hand on my shoulder. “There is nothing for you to prove. G...Go take a cold shower.”

I heard the pleading in her voice while I tried to focus on her. I reaching out to take her hand and lead her away from this idiot, when mummy mumbled “Fuckin cock-tease”

I couldn’t let that stand, no way he was going to insult my girl! So I charged him. I went to throw a fist, and it landed on his left cheek, and was about to roundhouse another, when a bouncer quickly pulled us apart and shuffled me away from the Valet. The bouncer took me by the shoulders and directed me to the door, 

“You can’t fight here. Go find your friends and get out of here. You can’t be photographed starting a fight.”  
“Okay, okay. I’m leaving. Let me just go see if my girl is alright?”

The bouncer kept a hand on my shoulder and I looked around him to see Kathryn step into her car and drive off. I couldn’t tell the state she was in as she was moving too quickly. 

Dammit. 

I really fucked up. I waved down a waiting cab and climbed in. 

“Where to?”

“Follow that car!”

“Okay… which one?” Shit. I couldn’t see her. I must have been more drunk than I thought. I tried to clear my head and think of where she might go. 

Home. She’d be heading home. 

I gave the cabbie her address and he took off.

I texted her the whole way there. Pleading with her to call me, to explain, to let me just see her. When the cab dropped me off, she had not responded to a single text. I needed to try and tell her how it looked from my side, to understand what in the hell had just happened. 

I used my key and walked as quietly as I could into her house. As I turned towards Kat’s bedroom, a swift hit to my stomach shoved all the air out of my lungs, next came my foot, then my groin and I went down with a thud. I was writing in pain as the subsequent waves of nausea flooded my body from the contact. My current state wasn’t helped by the liquor either. 

I began to wretch. 

“Who the fuck do you think you are breaking into my daughters house!” 

A woman in stands over me with a short metal bat, threatening to swing again if I move, I put my hands up to protect my face, but unfortunately a wave hits me and instead I vomit. 

“Ugh, you disgusting fucking pig. I don’t want to, but you’re gonna make me call goddamned cops.”

I hear shuffling and suddenly the lights come on. My vision is blurry and all I can feel is the blood filling my ears and pain coursing through my veins like fire. I hear gasping and a squeal, and then I see her. Kathryn kneeling down at my side with one hand on me and the other in the air preventing another swing in my direction.

“Mom! Shit Mom! STOP!!! Stop! He’s not a thief”

The squeal gets louder “OH….MY…..GAWDDDDD!!!! ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod… Josh Hutcherson!! Josh Hutcherson!!! JOSH MOTHER FUCKING HUTCHERSON!!!!” and then some loud scuffling.

Kat leaves my side, while the outburst from somewhere else distracts her mother long enough for me to get up to my knees. I crawl as best I can away from the puddle of vomit. If I was drunk, I’m not now. I start to get a headache as I wince from another wave of pain that shuttles through me terminating at my groin. 

I want to get into a standing position, but as I flex my stomach muscles pain cuts through my mid-section. It doesn’t feel broken, but damned it all, it fucking hurts. I groan aloud while putting a hand up to prevent another strike. Kat stealthy slips under my arm and helps me to standing. I can’t really hear what she’s saying as the pain surging through me clouds my vision and hearing. She manuvers me into her bedroom, and lays me down on the bed.

“What in the hell were you thinking? God damn it, Josh! Just lay here and if you feel like you need to throw up again, the trash can is on your left” She pads off and as she closes the door I can hear her mumble, “So fucking impulsive.” 

I’m grateful to be lying down, as the pain has started to subside. Now that I’m horizontal, I realize how fucking tired I am and let my my eyelids flutter over my eyes for just a minute. I need to talk to Kathryn, to apologize, for everything but I’ll feel better after I’ve had a few minutes to rest. 

Next I open my eyes, it’s light out as the sun breaks through the shades of Kathryn’s windows. I turn over to and see that she’s laying on top of the sheets with her back to me. The sun casts stripes of light across her frame that delicately highlight how fragile she is, and how precious each curve is to me. I’m hesitant to wake her, as I can only suppose the long night she had trying to clean up the mess I’ve made of things. 

I slip out of bed, careful not to wake her, and tiptoe around to her side of the bed. I pull a blanket over her shoulders, and lean in to kiss her lightly on her temple. I notice that her eyes are puffy and she has a grimace etched onto her features. An icy grasp clutches my heart at the fact that I am the cause of her unguarded emotions. The realization that I may have royally fucked up only makes my hangover worse. 

I sit back on my heels, watching her sleep fitfully. My mind a jumble as I toss around ideas about how to make it up to her. During my mental acrobatics, I look up to see a loose curl fall over her face. Impulsively, I reach in to tuck it behind her ear. Her almond eyes sleepily open and she smiles. I’m overcome by my emotions, and kiss her softly on the lips. She recoils in disgust at my morning-after breath. 

“Ugh, Donkey balls breath.”

I chuckle while I look at her quizzically. 

“Your breath tastes like you’ve been going down on a dirty donkey.” 

I reach over and grab the glass of water on her nightstand and swish it around my mouth. Realizing that the cotton mouth I have is pretty atrocious as well. I lean in and try again.  
“Much better.” 

I cup her cheek and rub small circles with my thumb over her jaw. Her eyes fully open, she lays quietly as I continue to gaze into them. Her brow begins furrow as I hold her vision and I can see that she putting up her defenses and is reading for a fight. In an attempt to cut her off, I lean in to kiss her. I can feel that she’s resisting the kiss so I come up from my sitting position to hover over her. She turns into the kiss and opens her mouth to let me in. She softens beneath me as her legs straddle my waist. I grind playfully into her hips and feel her gasp for air. 

I love that she’s horniest first thing in the morning, and I’m grateful that I can take advantage of her overwhelming need to be satisfied before trying to tackle the difficult job of apologizing for last night. I pull at the strap of her camisole and slowly kiss my way down to her breasts. I look up to confirm that she’s too lost to complain or to stop me. I graze a thumb over her nipple to watch it instantly harden. Her eyes close as she moans into the touch which spurs me on. 

I have to remind her how much she needs me to bring her to the brink and back. How much I absolutely adore every inch of her flesh. If I do my job well, she’ll be too happy to want to fight. I softly knead her breasts and suckle each one in turn, each pointed peak glistening in the morning light with my saliva. Her panting becomes heavier as I softly blow a light stream of air across each dusky pink mound. 

She’s whimpering as I slowly caress her sides and move south, placing wet kisses on either side of her belly button. I softly nip here and there knowing that she is most sensitive at the small plane of skin between her sex and luscious curve of her hip. She yips in pleasure as I suck on the skin leaving a mark. She bucks in response, attempting to maneuver my head further down. I can only guess that she’s in a hurry to get off and then get back to the business of admonishing me. I’ve got to draw out this foreplay for as long as I possibly can if I am going to avoid this fight. 

I place a palm on her inner thigh and begin to rub small circles with my thumb being careful to avoid her sex. Her whimpering is increasing as she plays with her breasts as her head is encased in a pillow fort. I can tell she’s walking the tightrope between wanting this and wanting to stop me because she keeps lifting her head to stare me down. With each challenge I dart a finger, palm or thumb across her most sensitive of places to remind her of the pleasure that she can only find with me. She is gasping for air and writhing with want. 

“Oh god! Please josh, stop playing with me.” 

I respond with actions instead of words, and move from her inner thigh to her now glistening center. With a tender placement of my fingertips, I cover her desire and move clockwise, slowly to edge her closer. She lets out a full body groan as her hips lift off the bed. I can see a trail of perspiration form just below her abdomen as a sign that I’m headed in the right direction. I’m overcome with the need to taste her, but instead place a kiss on her belly button while I slip my jeans and briefs off. 

I continue downwards and place open-mouthed kisses on her. A trickle of her warm sweetness meets my tongue, as I slowly dip it inside. Her gasps and moans have a refreshing effect on me as my hangover has dissipated and my own excitement has become more immediate. Her hands tangle in my hair when I grab her by the ass and grind her into my face. I begin to hum and her thighs clamp down on my ears. I place a free hand on her tummy to keep her from breaking the seal and to bring her to the edge. She’s bucking her hips now and I have to use both hands and hold her to me. 

There is a flood of wetness that meets my molars that is a sure sign that she’s satiated. I don’t stop until she starts to go limp under my mouth. However, I now need relief as bringing her this far has only increased my desire to feel her envelop my now throbbing cock. I clean her with my mouth, as her tremor subsides. I kiss my way north, until she is straddling my waist again. I catch one breast in my mouth and palm the other until hardened peaks reappear. With a single push I my hips are flush with hers and I let out a groan. The sensation electrifies me to the back of my eyeballs. Nothing is as sweet as when I’m at home inside of her. I clamp my eyes shut and have to focus to keep from exploding. I move slowly, circling my hips against hers when I am flush with her.

“oh fuck, Josh, fuck.. no… don’t stop.. ugh… harder! HARDER!!”

That was the sign I was looking for. I wrap a forearm around her leg and pull her calf to rest by my ear. I up my tempo and ram into her with as much force as I can, as the headboard crashes into the wall. 

We’re both grunting and sweating while her arms brace against her headboard. Her eyes roll back in her head when I start to feel the tremor pulsating from her thighs. It travels up through her core, and it spreads throughout her core. The flush and vibrations cause her arms to flail. Oh man she is gorgeous when she totally loses control to me. In the moment I begin to feel her clamping down on my cock as she knocks over a bedside lamp, i can only guess searching for something to grab. She’s trying to stay grounded, and I’m too close to stop, while cradling her head to my other shoulder. Her pulsing and clenching continues and I can’t hold back any longer. 

I grunt into her neck, “oh shit. Kat.. I love you…ugh.. oh fuck! I love you.” 

I let go. Constellations burst behind my eyes while it feels like my life force is flowing into her. 

I’m lost in the blissful afterglow, when I can feel her stiffen beneath me. I roll off of her, and reach in to kiss her, when she backs away. I reach up a hand to her cheek and she moves away from the touch to swing her legs over the side of the bed. She’s clutching the bed sheet to her chest and I’m freaking out now. I lean up on an arm and trace the delicate curve of her spine to her tailbone. With her back to me she sighs and then speaks to the door, never looking at me. 

“Josh…we can’t do this anymore… I won’t let you believe that you love me when I can’t reciprocate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that this took so long to update.  
> Angela (hutchhitched.tumblr.com) lit a fire under my ass.  
> It should be obvious that the chapter from Josh's perspective. And that I alternate between the two. come and visit me on tumblr: theotheroneoverthere.tumblr.com


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